By Dr. Ansab Ali
Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: A delegation led by Prof. Dr. Yu Jiang from Northwest A&F University (NWAFU), Shaanxi, China, visited the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore and called on Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Masood Rabbani.

A meeting was held at UVAS, presided over by Prof. Dr. Masood Rabbani. Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Prof. Dr. Kamran Ashraf, Dean Faculty of Biosciences Prof. Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman and senior faculty members from various departments attended the meeting.

The participants discussed prospective faculty and student exchange programmes, research collaboration, mutual academic interests and potential areas of cooperation, with particular emphasis on animal genomics, biotechnology, livestock research and veterinary sciences.

Welcoming the delegation to the 144-year-old institution, Prof. Dr. Masood Rabbani gave an overview of UVAS’s academic and research activities and showcased a university documentary highlighting its research, development initiatives, student strength and collaborations with national and international institutions.

He said the Punjab government was taking various measures to increase the profitability of livestock farmers and facilitate the export of Pakistani meat to international markets. He added that special attention was being given to removing hurdles in meat exports and ensuring compliance with international standards.

Prof. Dr. Rabbani said the livelihood of a large portion of Punjab’s rural population depended on livestock. He noted that the Punjab government had established 114 cattle markets to facilitate the buying and selling of livestock.

Prof. Dr. Yu Jiang delivered a detailed presentation introducing Northwest A&F University, its faculties, degree programmes, student body and academic and research activities.

He said the university currently had 160 faculty members and 2,476 students, while its researchers had published 1,272 research papers and secured 116 patents.

He also briefed the participants on the university’s work and research in modern breeding systems and discussed potential areas for strengthening academic and research cooperation between NWAFU and UVAS.