RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: The country is facing tremendous challenges including unemployment, poverty, diminishing resources, ever-increasing population, low per acre agriculture productivity, new diseases, environmental hazards and depleting water resources.

In this scenario, it is prerequisite to come up with solutions based on tangible scientific researches to overcome the crises.

University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar stated that while addressing the interactive session of Project Managers and Principal Investigators organized by Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization at New Senate Hall, UAF.

Dr Iqbal Zafar said that knowledge-based economics are proving their mettle in the world. He stressed upon the need to work on the problems of a common man, society and industry to move the country to the new horizon of development and prosperity. He said that the people who create ease in other lives their names last forever. He added that there is a need to develop such qualities to create the easiness in other lives.

He said that social scientists could play a pivotal role to address the social problems of the society. He said that the quality and demand driven researches will help cope with the challenges facing the country. He added that university research portfolio has crossed to Rs2.5 billion that is largest in the county.

Faculty of Agriculture Dean Dr Muhammad Amjad said majority of our population was living in rural areas and economy of our country depended on agriculture. If we were able to better agriculture practices and varieties, it would improve our economy.

Registrar Muhammad Hussain said that university administration was making all-out efforts to facilitate the faculty and students and to ensure that quality education is at par with international standards. He said that all possible measures are being taken in this regard.

ORIC Director Dr Zahir Ahmad Zahir said that in the recent Times Higher Education Asia University Ranking 2018, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has been declared 88th best Asian University on the basis of its subject Agriculture and Forestry. He said in the Shanghai ranking, it is standing at 127th position worldwide in the agriculture sciences, 90th position in QS ranking worldwide whereas in the National Taiwan University, it is standing a 72nd number in agriculture sciences.

Treasurer Tariq Saeed brief about the procedure of the funding and financial aspects of the research project. Director Procurement Shahid Afzal Gill, Dr Abdul Rasheed and other notable also spoke on the occasion.