Principal Officer, US consulate Lahore, Bryan Hunt has stated that US government has allocated $6.9 million for promoting science and technology in Pakistan. Addressing the participants of international symposium on "Emerging trends in Food Science and Technology" organised by National Institute of Food Science and Technology.
UAF in collaboration with Pakistan Society of Food Scientists and Technologists as chief guest here in new senate hall of the University on Wednesday morning, he said that US government is helping the educational and agricultural institutes of Pakistan by providing funds and machinery so as to overcome their problems.
He said that US government is providing technical assistance to establish extrusion centre at this institute under Pak-US sciences and technology assistance programme.
Governor Punjab Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool(Retd) while addressing the concluding ceremony of international symposium said that Pakistan is blessed with plenty of water, variety of climates and bestowed with abundant fruit, vegetable, cereals, rice and wheat which need to be processed and value added by utilising modern food technology for producing a nourishing and exotic food.
The Governor expressed his concerns over less nutritious values of the food items and stressed the scientists to enrich the food by processing and utilising chemical and bio technological advancements.
He urged the scientists to strive hard for bringing revaluation in the field of food technology with state of the post harvest technology. He lauded the role of university and termed its education, research and infrastructural facilities a role model for other institutes of the province.
He appreciated the efforts of HEC for promoting higher education and providing enormous funds for developing the infrastructure facilities, research projects, various scholarships and appointments of tenure track teachers in the university.
He assured the students of BSc Food Technology that the government will upgrade the posts of food inspectors to appoint the food technologists produced by this institute.
He expressed his satisfaction over the winning the four presidential awards by university faculty this year and said that government is appointing brilliant teachers on tenure track system by providing them highest wages upto Rs 2, 50000/- per month.
Earlier, Vice Chancellor Professor Bashir Ahmad in his welcome address highlighted the achievements of the university regarding providing various facilities to the students and wining a record research projects from national and international funding agencies. He told that an amount of Rs 6 billion is being spent on development of PARS campus, Razaabad Girls' college, and other outlets of the university.
He stressed the food scientists to play their pivotal role to reduce the post-harvest losses and to insure food security and safety in line with the WTO standards.
DG NIFSAT Professor Faqir Muhammad Anjum in his keynote address said that his institute has developed educational and research linkages with Nestle Pakistan, Vita Pakistan, Agrocampus, INRA, IRD, ENITAC France and in future the institute is deliberating to strengthening ties with National Foods and Tatrapack etc for inviting foreign food professionals to enrich the professional capabilities of our students.
Dr Anjum briefed the Governor that at present there are 400 students enrolled at his institute out of which 33 are pursuing their Ph.D. studies. Dr Jeans Francois Grongnet of Agrocampus France, Dr M N Riaz of Taxas A&M University USA, Dr Javaid Aziz Awan also addressed the concluding ceremony.
The Governor distributed the mementoes among foreign delegates and organisers of the symposium. The governor also paid a visit to food exhibition held in front of Iqbal Auditorium, and inaugurated extrusion centre and nestle hall in the institute.