Dr Iqrar A Khan said honesty in science is very important and the trainees need to conduct their survey and analyse the data with responsibility, that their findings would be submitted before Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Planning Commission and other agencies.
He observed that the evaluation of a national water project was a test case for UAF and said he was hopeful that this will take a long way for bringing better collaborations in future, as it was the first tear of a national project. Some 50 years back, this region was a desert and all prosperity became possible due to the evolution of canal system by the colonial rulers, he added.
Vice Chancellor UAF urged the trainees to accomplish their assignments with dedication and honestly, something that will certainly give them a direct exposure to the field and first hand experience of the factual position on ground. "Every year, the UAF produces about 4000 theses but with people involving in such field activities, their thesis, based on reality, would get due recognition and acceptance," he said.
He emphasised on the faculty to become consultants of various national and international agencies as they have competency and vigour to undergo any assignment of this nature, by adopting the formal channels. "Everyday, Pakistan used to host international consultants, whereas world over, the knowledge is created and disseminated by universities by its outreach activities" he said.
Director UAF Water Management Research Centre Professor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad, in his welcome address, told more than 90 young professionals of UAF and Sindh Agricultural University Tandojam are participating in the training workshop, and hoped that they will earn good name for their institutions by performing their evaluations, taking all related issues in mind.
Earlier, briefing the participants about the evaluation programme, Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Chairman Department of Agriculture Economics said that a mega project of 66 billion rupees was executed by the Federal Water Management Cell and funded by Ministry of Food and Agriculture to improve 86000 water courses and water tanks out of which, about 57000 water courses have been improved so far. He told that the team would evaluate about 978 water courses out of 6000 sample size.