ISLAMABAD, June 27: The Shijijiazhuang Institute of Agriculture Modernization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, and Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilisation University of Karachi singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Higher Education Commission here on Monday. The MoU was signed by Prof (Dr) Mengyu Liu of Shijijiazhuang Institute of Agricultural Modernization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hebei, China, and Prof (Dr) Ajmal Khan, Project Director, Institute of Sustainable Halophyte, University of Karachi.

Prof (Dr) Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director Higher Education Commission (HEC), and Mingyi Ge, Director of International Cooperation Bureau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, witnessed the signing ceremony.

The MoU aims at strengthening laboratory facilities to conduct research on salt tolerance at physiological, cellular and molecular levels and develop experimental research stations to test the developed technology under natural conditions.

Through this MoU both the institutions will facilitate the exchange of faculty and students for training and research in respective institutes. They will also support joint research projects and establish a joint research laboratory to develop halophyte research. Both the institutions will also develop a joint PhD programme and manage funding for joint workshops, seminars and conferences.