ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has approved a Rs35 million “Support to Biotech Education and Research Programme” project for the NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar.

The plan was okayed at a meeting of the Departmental Development Working Party held here at the commission campus with HEC Executive Director Dr M. Akram Shaikh in the chair.

The project is devised to upgrade the existing Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering to conduct courses for generating a cadre of trained manpower for major research establishment and universities and to undertake basic and applied research in the areas of national importance.

The scheme is expected to attract the expatriate Pakistanis who want to contribute to scientific projects at home. Laboratory facilities will be provided to the scientists of brotherly Muslim and other regional countries to come and work here on short-term assignments.

The project will not only raise the standard of teaching and research in biotechnology and genetic engineering in various research institutions in the country, but will also cooperate with similar research institutions abroad.

The scheme will identify national development needs, specify agenda for research to be undertaken by the universities, research organizations and industry. It will also monitor modern technologies developed in the advanced countries in related areas of research which may be adapted or transferred to the country.

Graduates and trainees including research scientists and educationists from different research organizations and universities will be involved in this programme.

Farmers as well as other people in health, environment and energy sectors will directly benefit from the project.

The manpower produced by this institute will be available for the institutions involved in teaching, research, production and services.

Agriculture, health education and industry sectors will particularly benefit from the project as the graduates produced from this institute will be instrumental in enhancing efficiency and productivity of the institutions belonging to these sectors.

The scheme is expected to produce 15 M.Phil and two Ph.D scholars annually. In addition, research work will be carried out to develop better crop varieties, better plant material and superior methods of plant disease control.—APP