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FAISALABAD, Oct 02 (APP):University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and Institute Pertanian Bogor University (IPB) Indonesia on Thursday inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to forge alliance in academia, joint research and faculty-student exchange programs.
UAF spokesman said here on Thursday that Rector IPB University Prof Dr Arif Satria and UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali signed the MoU on behalf of their institutions and the accord would create new avenues of innovation, knowledge-sharing and community development.
Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Indonesia H.E Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma, Ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry, from Trade and Investment Embassy of Pakistan Jakarta Muhammad Naseem Rashid and UAF Director External Linkages Muhammad Tehseen Azhar, Director Trade Development Authority Fazal-ur-Rehman, Vice President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) Asim Muneer, Executive Member FCCI Muhammad Ali were also present and spoke on the occasion.
The collaboration would focus on exchange of expertise, joint research projects and sharing of academic materials.
Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Indonesia H.E Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma said that Indonesia and Pakistan agriculture, academic and trade bilateral ties will be strengthened to get benefit from each other experiences and fight the common challenges.
He hailed the steps being taken on the part of UAF for agricultural sector.
Ambassador Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said both countries are enjoying ties especially agricultural and commerce. He noted that agriculture contributes around 20 percent to Pakistan’s economy and 14 percent to Indonesia’s economy, highlighting the vast potential for mutual cooperation for both countries. He said that academic partnership between leading universities of both countries will serve as a foundation for innovation, food security and sustainable growth.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali said that Pakistan and Indonesia have been enjoying collaborative ties for the past 75 years. He said that partnership with IPB University reflects UAF vision to expand the horizons of knowledge through international collaborations and global exposure to new opportunities for academic growth.
He said, “Pakistan imports oil and tea, while Indonesia is a major exporter of these commodities, by joining hands with Indonesia we will be benefitted from their experience in this regard.”
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening academia-industry linkages to accelerate innovation in diverse fields.
In strengthening resilience and advancing agricultural technologies across the region a Global High-tech Agricultural Network (GHAN) workshop was organized by Asian Development Bank (ADB) at Seoul National University (SNU) in which UAF along with several countries participated, he added.
Prof Dr Arif Satria said that this collaboration would not only strengthen academic and research ties but also pave the way for economic cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia.