China-Pakistan Agricultural Biological Resources Research Center was established in NWAFU

The China-Pakistan Agricultural Bio-resources Research Center was established in NWAFU on June 11. Li Xingwang, the party secretary of the university, and Mohamed Abdul Rove, the chief sponsor of the University of Lahore, Pakistan, jointly unveiled the center in a round of applause.

The China-Pakistan Agricultural Bio-resources Research Center started operating in NWAFU and the University of Lahore, Pakistan, respectively.

The main task of the center is to strengthen the substantive cooperation and exchanges between the two sides in the field of agricultural biological resources, focusing on pilot research, demonstration and promotion of genetics, crop production and processing the biochemistry and molecular biology of China-Pakistan agricultural biological resources, and promote the biological disciplines of both sides to move toward world-class disciplines.

The specific work includes the establishment of a pilot demonstration park for medicinal plants, wheat and other industrial crops in the two universities of China and Pakistan, joint application for scientific research projects, and the reception of 2-3 outstanding Bachelor students from Pakistan to study and work, and the promotion of the mutual cooperation between the two universities and interviews with exchanges and high-yield crop varieties and so on.

China and Pakistan have long-term fraternal friendships, as well as similar topography, climatic conditions and crop types. In recent years, exchanges between NWAFU and Pakistan universities have exchanged frequently. In July 2017 and November 2018, NWAFU and the Pakistan Science Foundation jointly hosted two “One Belt, One Road” international conferences on bio-health agriculture in order to provide a professional platform for the comprehensive bio-health agricultural science and technology education cooperation, industrial and industrial enterprise development and humanities exchanges between China and the countries along the Silk Road.

The Chinese director of the China-Pakistan Agricultural Bio-resources Research Center is Professor Zhang Lixin, Professor of the College of Life Sciences of NWAFU and Chairman of the Silk Road Bio-Health Agriculture Industry Alliance. The Pakistan director of the center is Professor Muhammad Ajab, President of the Lahore University, and the former Chairman of the Pakistan Foundation, academician of the Third World Academy of Sciences and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and President of the Faisalabad Agricultural University, served as the Pakistani adviser to the center. Li Xingwang issued a letter of appointment for the above personnel and other staff members of the center.

Li Xingwang pointed out in his speech that the establishment of the China-Pakistan Agricultural Bio-resources Research Center is a new starting point for the comprehensive and substantive cooperation between the two sides. It is hoped that the scientists of the two countries will give full play to their respective advantages over the major national and local people's livelihood issues of the country and the region, establish a stable and cooperative mechanism, play the role of demonstration, and build the research center into a model of cooperation between universities in the country along the Silk Road and a benchmark for China-Pakistan friendship. The two universities have a win-win development and contribute to the improvement of the agricultural modernization level of the two countries.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Vice President Chen Yulin. Professor Muhammad Ashraf, Professor Muhammad Ajab and Muhammad Abdul Rove delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Before the opening ceremony, Chen Yulin met with guests from two universities in Pakistan.

More than 100 people including scientific research institutes, promotion offices, international cooperation and exchange offices, life colleges, international colleges and other units, as well as special experts, international students and graduate students, attended the unveiling ceremony and subsequent reports.