HYDERABAD: Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad, emphasized the pivotal role of research in PhD programmes for driving national development.
Addressing the academic and administrative heads at Sindh Agriculture University and inauguration ceremony of a smart classroom established at Umerkot campus, Chairman HEC urged alignment of research with national priorities and expansion into crucial sectors like food security and agriculture.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed emphasized that during the past 76 years, conventional methods were employed in academia and research. Now, it is imperative to align research topics of PhD degrees with national development.
“Research expansion is needed on various subjects including food security, agricultural production, value chains, seed development, and veterinary vaccines, while Institutions need to enhance their efficiency,” He added.
Expressing concern over the sheer volume of research papers being published, the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) urged a shift towards research that yields tangible national benefits. He noted that the 262 universities across the nation are fulfilling their responsibilities in higher education. Furthermore, the HEC stands prepared to provide grants specifically for interdisciplinary and applied research initiatives.
During the ceremony, praise was extended to Vice Chancellor Dr Fatah Marri and Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Jan Mohammad Marri for their efforts in creating a top-tier learning environment at the Umerkot campus, and it is recognized as the best Institution among 62 campuses nationwide.
SAU Vice Chancellor Dr Fatah Marri stressed the pivotal role of agricultural development in addressing economic challenges, highlighting Sindh Agriculture University’s focus on areas like seed improvement, Animal Breeding, Value Addition, Arid and Urban Agriculture and agricultural financing.
Dr Fatah Marri urged for a shift in youth mindset towards market-oriented agricultural education and self-employment opportunities and emphasized the industry-academia collaboration to drive export-oriented trends.
Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Jan Mohammad Marri emphasized the promising research opportunities in agriculture and medicinal plants within the Tharparkar region. He stressed the significance of establishing a modern scientific academic and research environment to facilitate students’ exploration of these fields.
On the occasion, Vice Chancellor Liaquat Medical University Jamshoro Jamshoro Dr Ikram Uddin Ujjan, Vice Chancellor Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Sakrand Dr Muhammad Farooq Hassan, Chancellor of Indus Medical University Tando Muhammad Khan Dr Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Registrar Ghulam Mahiuddin Qureshi, Director Finance Anil Kumar, Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar and Yasir Marri and the academic and administrative sectional heads were present at the occasion.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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