University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) is proactively working on revolutionising the agriculture system, it has its representation in the policy organs of the government and various working groups are busy in finalising the 10th five-year plan, UAF is present in three groups with one chairmanship to actually bring a diversifying change in achieving the food security challenges.
The world is planning to double its food produces within the next 10 years so we need to diversify our cropping, irrigation harvesting, storage and handling practices, thereby to meet the emerging challenges. This was emphasised by UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Iqrar Ahmad Khan while addressing and presiding over the 35th meeting of University's Senate here at new senate hall on Monday.
Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan maintained that the government has endorsed the initiatives taken by UAF administration to boost up its R&D and planning activities in lines with the emerging needs.
The Vice Chancellor while felicitating the faculty and presenting the highlights of the last financial year, said that last year was ended with only 70 externally funded projects and 155 were in pipeline whereas this year we touched this with 139 and more than 300, which is testament of its constant achievements.
He said that last year we had sent only 10 faculty members for overseas for their PhD programmes, this year we sent more than 30 and yet there were enormous opportunities need to be capitalised by the faculty.
He said that UAF was setting new trends and took the lead to organise a full range of community service functions at campus, which was attended by Governor Tehran, French Ambassador, US Special Ambassador, WSU delegation, German Delegation, Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Finance Minister, DG HEC and others dignitaries, which played a vital role in getting three major foreign grants from France, Iran and China.
Dr Khan informed the house that last year UAF started its internationalisation journey by inking 4 MoUs with international organisations, this year we signed 14 and most of them are now translated into action as UAF has become the beneficiary of 40 German scholarships under ICDD programme. "We revised our relationships with WSU by getting full wave off admission and tuition fees" he added.
Wrapping up the future thrust of UAF, Dr Khan revealed that it has submitted a massive PC-1 of 4 billion rupees to funding agencies for its infrastructural development, R&D programmes, creating more space for faculty and students to become more efficient as if we remain progressing at the same pace the enrolment will be 25000 in the next 10 to 15 years.
"UAF is making the education flexible, relevant and affordable to the students" he added. He emphasised that we need to bridge the gap between the existing use of agricultural technology and its potential use. Earlier, Treasurer Abdul Ghafoor Khan highlighted salient features of the budget for the year 2008-09 and presented the proposed non-development budget for 2009-10 of Rs 1055.262 million against an expenditure of Rs 1287.139 million with 231.877 million rupees deficit.
He informed that total receipt for the remaining year 2009-10 is Rs 669.770 million under non-development head against the proposed expenditure of the same amount. The house approved the budget and agenda of the senate with some appropriate suggestions.
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