There is a dire need for enhancing linkages between academics and industries, Commissioner Tahir Hussain said on Friday.
The commissioner was addressing a meeting of the Faisalabad Research Forum at the new Senate Hall of the University of Agriculture.
Calling Faisalabad a hub of research scientists, Hussain suggested setting up an Agriculture Advisory Cell similar to the Punjab Rescue Service (Rescue 1122) to make expert advice available to farmers through a hotline. This, he said, would especially help the farming communities in far flung areas.
Hussain said that this step would help boost the agriculture sector that contributed 22 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product.
He said that the Research Forum was a platform where scientists and stakeholders collaborated to develop a road map to resolve scientific issues in society.
Quoting from official reports on dengue fever, he said cases were reported from 204 union councils of the district last year.
“There is a bigger threat this year,” he said.
Hussain suggested setting up a drug testing laboratory in the district so that drug tests could be done locally.
He also suggested heath advice line where callers would get basic information on various diseases and ways to fight them.
WASA Managing Director Zahid Aziz briefed the participants about the sanitation situation and steps taken by the agency to fight dengue.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the Higher Education Commission had ranked UAF the third best university in the country.
The VC said that since 2008, the number of research projects at the UAF had gone up from 109 to 210. The number of UAF publications had risen to 3,000 from 500 in these four years, he said. Since 2008, he said, as many as 542 UAF teachers had been trained internationally and 168 foreign delegates had visited the university.
He said the university has strengthened its collaborations through 72 international and 53 national memorandums of understanding.
He pointed out various facilities being given to the faculty members and the students by the management including a day care centre, a women complex, a community college and a student counselling centre.
Dr Zakir Hussain, the Government College University, Faisalabad vice chancellor, also spoke at the occasion.
He advocated setting up a technology park in Faisalabad division.
Talking about pollution, he said polluting industries should be fined on the spot. Riaz Hussain, a Punjab Medical College (PMC) former principal, mentioned that the UAF had started a BSc programme in human nutrition and dietetics in collaboration with the PMC this year.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2012.
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