Scientific alliance: Belarusian experts in Pak to advance partnerships

A high-level delegation from the Republic of Belarus is on a state visit to Pakistan from July 27 to 31, as a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) and National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, said a press release on Monday.

The MoU covers collaboration on a wide array of disciplines ranging from science and higher education to commerce and industry.

The Belarusian delegation includes experts in the fields of agricultural sciences, geoinformatic systems, education and unmanned aircraft vehicles. The delegation will visit relevant organisations in the country, including National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Institute of Space and Technology (IST), COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

An introductory meeting was also held at PAS headquarters to connect Belarusian experts with their Pakistani counterparts. Scientists from NARC, NUST, IST, and CIIT also participated in the meeting, the statement said.

The Belarusian dignitaries are reportedly keen to collaborate in the fields of genetic engineering, genomics, agricultural equipments including farm machinery and post-harvest processing, food technology, information technology, horticulture, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sciences. The delegation is also said to have expressed an interest in holding joint seminars, symposia and conferences.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.