Arid Agriculture University – PMAS AAUR and the Department of Agricultural Engineering have successfully established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in academic and research activities, particularly in fields such as precision agriculture, climate change, water resource management, and alternate energy, among other agricultural sciences.
On May 30th, a grand MoU signing ceremony was held at the university campus, headed by the Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Park Ki Jun, and the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem. The ambassador emphasized Korea’s commitment to enhancing the development of Pakistan, especially in agriculture and education, and appreciated the long-lasting friendship between Korea and Pakistan.
The MoU was signed between PMAS-AAUR, the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineering (KSAE), and the Pakistan Society of Agricultural Engineering (PSAE), focusing on cooperation in academic and research activities. All parties agreed to cooperate on societal development and areas of mutual academic interest related to research. This collaboration aims to strengthen scientific and technical partnerships between the two countries.
The cooperation includes joint academic research projects under the Korea-Pakistan partnership, participation in joint conferences, seminars, workshops, and knowledge/skill exchange programs. Additionally, joint research proposals can be submitted to Korean and Pakistani funding agencies, including KOICA, NRF, and HEC, to secure funding for joint research ventures.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem, Vice Chancellor of PMAS-AAUR, Mr. Seung Jin Maeng, Ph.D., President of KSAE, and Engr. Mansoor Rizvi, President of PSAE, signed the MoU. Earlier, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem welcomed the ambassador and the Koica delegation, and Dr. Muhammad Azam provided a detailed briefing on the university’s educational, research, and extension programs, along with its future plans.
Later in the day, an International Seminar on “Transferring Innovative Technologies for Environmental Water Management between Korea and Pakistan” was held at PMAS-AAUR. The seminar was jointly organized by the PMAS-AAUR Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization, the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, KSAE, and PSAE. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, former Chairman of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), presented a thought-provoking article on the challenges Pakistan faces in water resource management, which was well received by the audience.
In his concluding remarks, Engr. Mansoor Rizvi thanked the foreign experts, including Je Ho Yeon, Country Director, for their participation. He emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing and innovative solutions in addressing environmental challenges. He assured the attendees that the Pakistan Society of Engineers provides a platform for agricultural engineers to exchange views, share knowledge, and receive training on IoT and new developments.
He also highlighted the impact of climate change on agriculture and praised the contributions of Korean agricultural engineers. He expressed confidence that Pakistani engineers would benefit from Korea’s experience in improving storage capacity, operation, and maintenance of reservoirs, and addressing deteriorated infrastructure issues.
The seminar’s success was attributed to the efforts of Dr. Muhammad Azam and his team, whose contributions were highly appreciated by the participants.
This exclusive news/article has been published in Automark Magazine’s July-2024 printed/digital edition.