LAHORE, Feb 21: The University of Northampton, United Kingdom, and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, have agreed to work for developing collaborations and launching joint ventures with focus on the leather sector of Pakistan.

A three-member delegation from the University of Northampton consisting of International Office director Ms Delia Heneghan, senior lecturer Paul Evans and Dr. Warren Weinsten, who is country director of JE Austin Associates Inc., held a meeting with UVAS vice-chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Nawaz and senior faculty members here on Saturday.

They discussed the areas of collaboration and agreed to look for possibilities of launching joint ventures with the UVAS and Higher Education Commission (HEC) in leather and dairy sectors.

Ms Heneghan said the University of Northampton was interested in developing collaborations/partnerships with Pakistani universities and working with leather technologists, veterinary scientists, agriculture experts and business and marketing executives in Pakistan with focus on leather and dairy industries.

She said the UVAS was the right place to work with in leather sector. She said the University of Northampton would help the UVAS in imparting leather technology education and training and workforce development for Pakistan’s leather sector.

DR Warren Weinsten said that Pakistan was rich in raw material and what it lacked was the value addition and trained manpower. He said that Pakistan could earn hefty foreign exchange in exporting leather and for the purpose it had to work for developing its leather sector.

The vice-chancellor told the British delegation that the university was already running a research project on economic losses due to the damages to animal skin after slaughtering.

Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, who is principal investigator of the research project, briefed the guests about the details of the project and said the UVAS in collaboration with the HEC and the Canners Association of Pakistan had completed the field work on the damages to animal skin and was now compiling its research report.

The UVAS vice-chancellor formed a three-member committee consisting of Prof Dr. Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdullah and Dr. Naveed Akhtar to develop a framework for joint ventures with the University of Northampton.

The British delegation will again visit the UVAS next week, hold a meeting with this three-member committee and further discuss the modalities of collaboration and partnership between the two universities.Earlier, the VC briefed the delegation about the academic, research and developmental activities of the UVAS.

He said the university was the oldest veterinary institution in this part of the world as its history dates back to 1882 starting as a veterinary school. – APP