FAISALABAD, Dec 11: Scientists in the agriculture university should evolve a research-oriented system with practical utility.

Addressing a senate meeting of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, here on Tuesday, Punjab agriculture minister Khurshid Zaman Qureshi urged the scientists and members of the faculty to establish a meaningful linkage between research and its application.

He urged the teachers to carry out research work capable of delivering practical outcome in a short span.

“Research without certain outcome was of little or no significance,” he added.

Appreciating the outreach programme introduced by the university, the minister said it would not only help transmitting research to the agricultural fields but also provide a chance to the scientists to have a first-hand knowledge of the problems faced by the growers in the field.

He maintained the steady flow of assistance and research scholarships for the university by the foreign institutes bore ample testimony to the credibility the institution had been imparting education with.

Earlier, university vice-chancellor Dr Riaz Husain Qureshi said every effort had been made to provide practical knowledge to the students besides text-book knowledge. Committed to improvise latest development in the field, he claimed the institution had initiated research on several projects.

He said emphasis had been laid on adapting the syllabus in keeping with the demands of the day and for tackling the problems related to agriculture. The university had won recognition as a specialized institution capable of delivering results in the field of agricultural education and research, he said.

He disclosed the university had 224 PhD faculty members, the highest in any university in the country. At present, 5,557 students had been associated with research studies for doing their doctorate while 1,384 students had been doing their MSc and 114 students M Phil.

Meanwhile, the senate approved the university budget and manifested its agenda regarding future course of action.