FAISALABAD:University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bridge the gap between academia and industry, grooming of students and promote agriculture, education and research cooperation.
According to the agreement, a Financial Innovation Technology Center will be set up at the UAF to strengthen academy-industry relationship, joint efforts to cultivate science-based technological innovations and build the capacity of students.
The MoU was duly inked by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, and HBL Head Development Finance Amer Aziz.
According to the agreement, the center will display farmer digital programs- technologies and other remote sensing technology, agricultural production and opportunities, agriculture value chain etc. Webinars will be held to provide the students about the understanding of banking industry, digital banking tools, marketing ethics, SBP regulation, career counseling sessions to enhance student competence.
Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that more than 90 percent of the farmers were small. If we increase the average yield of wheat per acre, we will earn self-sufficiency in wheat as well as earn foreign exchange by exporting. He said that strengthened industry-academy relations can provide knowledge based economy. He said that training of students with practical was the need of the hour to face the challenges of the current era. He said that the development and poverty alleviation was directly linked to agriculture sector for which the two institutions would make every effort in the field of education and research.
Amir Aziz, Head Development Finance, Habib Bank, said that HBL was striving hard for the prosperity of farmers and agricultural development. He said that HBL has taken various steps for farming community to ensure profitable agriculture. Dr Muhammad Ahsan Khan said all-out efforts being taken to ensure the scholarship to students belonging to deprived area to continue their journey of knowledge.
Registrar Tariq Mehmood Gil, Director Human Resources Dr Manzoom Akhtar, Treasurer Umar Saeed Qadri, Director ORIC Dr Zaheer Ahmad Zaheer, Director External Linkages Dr Wasim Akram, Director Financial Assistants Dr Muhammad Ahsan Khan, Assistant Director Waqar Akbar, Nehal Ahmad and others attended the event.