HYDERABAD: Vice Chancellor Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Dr Altaf Ali Siyal on Wednesday emphasized the need for young graduates to lead innovation in the agriculture sector to ensure sustainable development and effectively address challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, declining soil fertility and food insecurity.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a two-week, Crash Capacity Building Programme, launched at the university in collaboration with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The initiative aims to prepare graduates for advanced agricultural training in China.
Dr Siyal described Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative to send 1,000 agricultural graduates to China for international exposure and specialized training as visionary and timely. He noted that China has made remarkable progress in agricultural research, hybrid seed production, water management technologies, and protected cultivation techniques and farm mechanization.
He said that by learning from China’s advancements, Pakistani youth would equip themselves with modern technical skills and a global perspective, enabling them to contribute effectively to the country’s agricultural transformation.
Reiterating the university’s mission to produce competent graduates, researchers and agricultural experts, he urged participants to fully benefit from the two-week training. He added that those selected for the three-month advanced training in China would represent not only their families and institutions but also the entire agricultural community of Pakistan.
In her online address, HEC Director General (Scholarships and Global Engagement) Dr Ayesha Ikram said the government was committed to harnessing the potential of youth. She said that over 200 young participants from Sindh were undergoing training under the programme and would benefit from high-level instruction in China.
She said the initiative would provide them with valuable international exposure and enable them to adopt modern agricultural technologies, ultimately contributing to the development and advancement of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Earlier, Dean of the Faculty of Crop Protection Dr Abdul Mubeen Lodhi briefed the audience about the program. He said 180 candidates, including 147 male and 33 female participants, had been enrolled in the two-week training.
During the programme, expert faculty members will deliver lectures on various agricultural subjects. An examination will be conducted at the conclusion of the sessions, and successful candidates will be recommended to the HEC for scholarships to pursue further training in China, he added.
