KARACHI: The University of Karachi and the International Trade Centre Sindh chapter on Wednesday signed the letter of intent (LoI) to align with international standards, and in a proactive stride to enhance Pakistan’s agricultural exports, and respond to global market demands.
The LoI was formalised to establish a partnership to elevate the inclusion of sanitary and phytosanitary measures within the undergraduate degree program curriculum.
The fundamental objective of this collaborative effort is to ensure comprehensive and contemporary training for young individuals, guaranteeing that the quality and safety of local agricultural products and by-products meet stringent global standards.
The Provincial Lead of ITC Rizwan Tariq shared that this initiative will help in grooming students for the local and international markets and with the implementation of the ITC standard, the local market can easily reach the foreign markets.
On this occasion, the KU Chairman of the Food Science and Technology Department Dr Abdul Haq briefed the visitors about the department's continuous engagement with stakeholders to uphold curriculum standards at an international level, asserting that this LoI will further enhance their capacity to produce highly qualified, globally competitive professionals.
A faculty member of the FS&TD Dr Ghufran Saeed elucidated the critical significance of sanitary and phytosanitary measures in meeting the global demand for agricultural commodities.
KU Chairman of the Physiology Department Professor Dr Taseer Ahmed Khan highlighted the University’s tradition of curriculum enhancement. KU Chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Agribusiness Management Dr Faheem Akbar expressed that training provided by the ITC would surely help our students and also enhance their skills.
KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi mentioned that if we increase the standard of our products then they will find an international market without any hassle. Our products can reach and grip foreign markets but we need to adopt international standards to produce our products over there.
He expressed that a steadfast commitment to ensuring the university’s benefit to society and expressed gratitude to ITC for providing an opportunity to elevate the skills and capabilities of university graduates. The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi believes that this collaboration underscores a proactive endeavour towards fostering excellence and competitiveness in Pakistan’s agricultural sector on the global stage.
Earlier, Rizwan Tariq along with the Agribusiness Value Chain Specialist Mohsin Azam and the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Umer Tarar shared insights into the growth for rural advancement and sustainable progress and ITC’s role in boosting Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024