PESHAWAR, Sept 10: University of Peshawar vice-chancellor Professor Qibla Ayaz on Monday announced the establishment of a desk at the admission directorate to facilitate foreign students.

He was speaking at a function held to announce appointment of Hashim Abdul Rehman Al Ghaili, the recent Yemeni graduate of Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology as the university’s ambassador to his homeland.

Ambassadorial credentials were conferred on Mr Al Ghaili in the ceremony. He will share the experience of staying at the university with Yemen higher education department and students to motivate them for pursuing higher studies at the university.

He will also present the real image of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its people to the people of Yemen to remove negative perceptions.

Mr Ayaz said in the current age of globalisation, it was fast becoming important to expand the number of foreign students, especially those belonging to Muslim world.

He said the archaeology department was one of the best in Asia and that was why the Malaysian government was seeking guidance from the university to introduce archaeology department in its universities.

The vice-chancellor said a formal agreement in this respect was to be signed by him and the ambassador of Malaysia to Pakistan in November this year, according to a news release issued here.

Mr Al Ghaili termed the initiative as the first of its kind in the history of universities around the world.

“I have always got special treatment in UoP as a foreign student and will go to my country Yemen with the idea of building gap between the two countries and its higher education institutions,” he said.

He said since the people of the area were so kind, peaceful and hospitable, he hadn’t returned home since arrival in 2008.

Meanwhile, as many as 29 University of Peshawar scientists and faculty members were given research productivity award by Pakistan Council for Science and Technology for outstanding achievements in the field of applied sciences.

Gandhara University vice-chancellor Dr Rasheed Tahirkheli gave away research awards to scientists as the chief guest of the ceremony.

Of the total 29 awards, 10 went to Institute of Chemical Sciences UoP, while Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry secured seven, said a separate news release issued by the university.

The awards included a certificate and cash award of Rs30,000 to each scientist.

Special appreciation was extended to Dr Siab, faculty member of Centre of Excellence in Geology whose research article published in an Australian Journal, was the most cited paper in the world as per official data, the release said.