PESHAWAR, Jan 4: The NWFP Agricultural University would provide quality education and research services with the assistance of two American universities to boost agricultural production in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The university signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Tuesday with the two American universities, the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University.
The NWFP Agricultural University would offer short courses on agricultural topics in collaboration with the two United States universities to Afghan agriculturists to prepare them to share their knowledge and experience with other Afghan farmers.
Earl Kellogg, associate provost for International Affairs at the University of Illinois said that one of the keys to successful development in Afghanistan is the growth of its agriculture sector where a large proportion of people earn their income from agriculture.
Plans are under way for several short courses to be taught at NWFP university as well as in the recovering of Kabul, he said. The vice-chancellor of NWFP Agricultural University Dr Syed Iqbal Shah signed the MoU on behalf of the university to initiate such activities by the three universities.
"This agreement would provide important agricultural education and research services for the people of both the agricultural countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan", said Mr Shah.
The memorandum of understanding has renewed the partnership among the three universities that began more than 20 years ago and will go on a long way in providing improved quality of education and research services to Pakistan and Afghanistan and other countries of the region, the vice chancellor said.
The activities under the MoU will include exchange of faculty members, students, academic material and information, joint research activities and development of special programmes.
"We are pleased to have this opportunity to renew and enhance our participation in an important international undertaking", said Walter V. Wender vice-chancellor Southern Illinois University who signed the MoU on the behalf of the university.
The faculty members, project director of University of Illinois, United States Agency for International Development, representative of the International Arid Land Consortium also attended the MoU signing ceremony.
