IUB extends research ties with Chinese varsity

BAHAWALPUR:

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Islamia University of Bahawalpur and a Chinese university has been extended for five years.

According to a news release, IUB Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Kamran recently visited China to participate in the 120th anniversary celebrations of the Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) and explore expansion of bilateral research initiatives.

During the visit, both universities extended their MoU, solidifying their high-impact joint research led locally by IUB's National Research Centre of Intercropping (NRCI).

According to the IUB, the cooperation has so far resulted in adapting Chinese strip intercropping technology across more than 12,000 hectares of Pakistani farmland to optimise yields, secured 56 fully-funded scholarships for students at the SAU and positioned the IUB as the sole Pakistani institution on the Standing Council of the Food Security Education and Technology Innovation Alliance.

In a feature comparing China's clean-energy-driven AI model in Ulanqab to Bahawalpur's landscape, Dr Kamran emphasised the necessity of pairing digital infrastructure with robust local research and human capital, detailing how IUB is actively building the native capabilities through its Artificial Intelligence Research and Advancement Lab.