He addressed the teaching and administrative staff of the varsity at the Staff Club, UAF.
He stressed upon the researchers to come up with viable solutions to the problems of farming community. He showed his concerns that despite having the sufficient food, 40 percent of women and children were malnourished.
He said the government was taking revolutionary steps to address woos of the farming community in the shape of Kissan Package and other initiatives. He said Punjab Agriculture Policy was being redesigned to uplift the sector keeping the need of the modern era in view.
"We are losing upto 40 percent of our produces in the post-harvest process," he said, adding it was need of the hour to ensure the modern agricultural practice to make the agriculture sector a profitable business.
He was of the view that the country was blessed with four seasons, fertile land and talented people. He said with the passage of time, the climate changes occurred that were declining resources.
He said the university was meant for ensuring the food security, and addressing the problems of the farming community.
He said University had emerged as role model institution owing to healthy reforms in research, teaching and outreach programmes. He said it was playing a pivotal role in ensuring food security, and poverty alleviation with the help of quality education, trained manpower, research and outreach programme.
He said during the last nine years, the University had taken marvellous steps to excel in the different fields. He said it had emerged only institution in the country which was ranked among the top 100 universities in any category.
He said in 2008, in the teaching faculty, there had been only 40 women but the number now had risen to 150. He said during the last nine years there were only 200 PhD faculty and 9,000 students which had risen to 450 PhDs and 24,000 students.
He said the University had changed the mindset of the employees and taking the tangible steps in term of research worth Rs 2.5 billion, community building and knowledge.
He said the University had got found the place where policy makers were seeking policy recommendations from the varsity on the different issues including agriculture, social sectors and foreign policy etc.
He said that during his tenure, 160 employees had been sent abroad for higher studies where 265 completed the post doctorate from abroad.
Principal Officer Public Relations and Publications, UAF, Prof Dr Jalal Arif said in 2008, there was no sign of UAF in the international ranking, adding but now it had emerged in the list of top 100 elite universities of the globe. He said the University had made the marvellous development under the dynamic leadership of Prof Dr Iqrar A Khan which would be written in the golden pages of the history.
He said in his tenure, the university had taken the funding of Rs 20 billion which was record in the history. He said during the last nine years, the expansion in term of per square infrastructure was equal to the total per square infrastructure from 1906-2008. He said that Punjab government had given a task of redesigning the Punjab Agri Policy to the Vice Chancellor that would bring the development and prosperity in the sector.
While praising the contributions of Dr Mehboob ul Haq, ex-Finance Minister, for introducing reforms in governance system and facilities for the public servant, he said Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan rendered enormous contributions in agriculture and rural development and effective advocacy in the policy organs of the government. He termed the services of UAF VC Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan equal to Dr Mehboob ul Haq in making the varsity servants lives easier.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017