TOBA TEK SINGH: Developing agriculture on modern lines is essential to ensure food security and address the challenges faced by the farming community.

This was stated by University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan while addressing a delegation of the 42nd Mid-Career Management Course from the National Institute of Management Islamabad, led by Dr Syeda Faiza Urooj.

Dr Sarwar highlighted UAF’s achievements, including the development of climate-resilient wheat varieties in collaboration with Washington State University, which he termed a milestone for agriculture.

He further mentioned that the university has introduced high-yielding genetically modified (GM) sugarcane varieties, including insect-resistant transgenic sugarcane (CABB-IRS) and herbicide-tolerant transgenic sugarcane (CABB-HTS). These varieties feature superior traits such as input responsiveness, early maturity, resistance to top borers, herbicide tolerance, and a high number of tillers. He added that these are only the second GM sugarcane varieties globally, after those developed in Brazil.

OIC-COMSTECH: A high-level delegation comprising vice chancellors, rectors, and presidents from 12 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries visited Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) on Friday.

Under the umbrella of OIC-COMSTECH, the delegation attended the inauguration of the much-anticipated Leadership Summit and International Innovation Expo 2025.

On this occasion, GCUF Vice Chancellor Dr Rauf-i-Azam expressed his gratitude to COMSTECH Coordinator General Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhary and Media Linkage Advisor Murtaza Noor for facilitating the event. He emphasised the importance of collaboration in building a sustainable future through education and innovation.

Dr Rauf also announced scholarships for PhD students from Palestine and other OIC member states, in collaboration with COMSTECH.

The event brought together academic leaders, OIC delegates, and experts from 20 international universities, with participants from Oman, Malaysia, Jordan, Tatarstan, Iran, Palestine, and Tanzania, among others.

The expo featured innovative projects from various GCUF departments and international companies. Additionally, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between GCUF and universities from OIC member countries, focusing on knowledge sharing, cooperative research, advancements in education and technology, and cultural exchange.

These agreements aim to strengthen academic ties and foster global partnerships between higher education institutions.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025