KU, FBATI signs MoU to curb pollution

KARACHI: The University of Karachi and Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry on Monday signed Memorandum of Understanding curb environmental pollution. They have also agreed upon to establish the scientific and technical collaboration between them.

The Chief Executive Officer, Federal B Area Trade Estate, Muhammad Babar Khan and the Vice Chancellor, Karachi University, Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan signed the MoU at the Vice  Chancellor Secretariat, located at second floor at new Administration Building.

The objective of this MoU is to further develop and carry out collaboration between the two considering the common interest of both the parties in promoting mutual collaboration in academic and scientific research activities.

They have intended to develop collaborative research and training activities in areas of importance and need on mutual basis benefiting the two institutions. This will not only help achieving overall objectives and enable to meet challenges in the new millennium, but also strengthen the research facilities, produce trained human resources and share resources to obtain maximum benefit sand achieve scientific excellence.

The scope and collaboration on academic and scientific research activities included in this MoU includes arranging joint conferences, workshops and courses, research collaboration, staff training, internships for students, transfer and sharing of knowledge, accreditation from Sindh Environment Protection Agency, environmental management plan, analysis of environmental samples and sharing of facilities.

The faculty member of the Institute of Environmental Studies, Professor Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, would serve as the primary liaison between the two institutions to facilitate the development of future activities while Muhammad Imran Qamar, member FBATI, would be the focal person on behalf of the Association.

The Vice President, FBATI, Raza Hussain, members Mansoor Mobeen Muhammad Irfan, Abdullah Abid, have attended the meeting. The CEO FATI Muhammad Babar Khan expressed that there is no linkage between academia and industries in the country due to which industrialists found difficult to get suitable solutions at the grassroots level.

“We need a strong human resource relationship to address the technical shortfall in industries and academia is the best solution for us. If we work together then it will support the students, faculty members and owners and workers of industries which eventually help in increasing our industry-based growth.”

He mentioned that this is so unfortunate that there was no direct connection between local industries and varsities. Whole world is taking advantage of closed working relation of academia and industries but in Pakistan we did not follow the successful pattern due to which we go for expensive solutions.

Meanwhile, the KU VC Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan while appreciating the FBATI decision to start working with the University, said that first step in right direction always matters a lot for the success and growth of organizations and this MoU would be the first step in right direction.

“There must be a practical approach to achieve our goals and we both know the fact that if academia and industries start working together then it will be a win-win situation for both parties.”

He said that industries and universities have to work closely to fill the gap as we have to transfer the knowledge among our students to make them ready for the market while industries could get technical expertise from the faculty to gradually improve their business.