Pakistan, China step up agri research collaboration

The Silk-Road Biohealth Agricultural Industry Alliance, Northwest A&F University (NWAFU) China, and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) have agreed to enhance cooperation in agriculture and education to address shared challenges, including climate change and soil health.

The commitment was made during a meeting between a Chinese delegation, led by NWAFU Chairman Prof Zhang Lixin and Principal Member Prof Sun Daoyang, and UAF's deans and directors.

Dean Agriculture Dr Ghulam Murtaza, Principal Officer (Academic, Teaching, Research and Innovation) Dr Rao Zahid Abbas, Director (Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization) Dr Imran Arshad, Local Dean of the Confucius Institute Dr Saddam Hussain, and other officials briefed the delegation on UAF's achievements and ongoing collaborative projects.

Prof Zhang highlighted NWAFU's position as China's most comprehensive agricultural university, offering a complete range of agricultural disciplines and hosting over 36,000 students.

He noted the institution's development of 19 heat-tolerant wheat varieties, organic fertilisers, and strong ties with Pakistani agricultural research bodies.

He praised UAF's role in agricultural advancement and in promoting Chinese culture and language through the Confucius Institute.

Dr Imran Arshad shared that UAF currently has 40 active MoUs with Chinese institutions, with 87 faculty members having pursued higher education in China.

He said the university offers Chinese language courses at the undergraduate level and holds 26 registered patents, with 506 MoUs signed worldwide. Dr Murtaza stressed the urgency of joint work on soil degradation and climate change, while Dr Rao Zahid noted that the Chinese Academy of Sciences has recognized UAF's Pakistan Veterinary Journal as the best in its field.