LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) launched the first-ever indigenous post-doctoral fellowships on Tuesday.

The decision was taken in the 11th meeting of the PHEC where Chairperson Prof Dr Nizamuddin said that the programme had been designed to create a pool of qualified faculty and to promote research culture in the province.

The fellowship is for PhD faculty members of provincially chartered public sector universities/colleges in the province

“Through the new programme, scholars will be trained locally to hone their research skills at universities and research institutes of Punjab and it is introduced for faculty members particularly for females who are not able to avail such openings abroad,” said Dr. Nizam.

The programme will help create a pool of qualified researchers and academicians, in line with international standards in a cost-effective manner by promoting research culture in Punjab.

The duration of the fellowship will be nine months and all PhD faculty members of public sector universities and colleges and who do not have availed a post-doc fellowship in the last five years, will be eligible to apply for the programme.

PUNJAB UNIVERSITY: Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Executive Director Prof Dr Arshad Ali has said that the benefits of academic research must reach society for economic development of the country.

He was addressing the inaugural session of three-day international symposium on ‘Advances in Molecular Biology of Plants and Health Sciences’ by the Punjab University Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) at Riazuddin Auditorium on Tuesday.

PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Moeen Nasir, HEC Regional Director Nazir Hussain, CEMB Director Prof Dr Tayyab Husnain and over 100 scientists from China, Germany, Turkey, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan and from different parts of country were present.

He said that universities were meant for creating new knowledge in the relevant fields and transferring the knowledge to the next generations.

He said researchers at the CEMB were doing wonderful job in disciplines of agriculture and health sciences and there was need to disseminate their achievements to the leadership, common man and fellow researchers so that they could play their role in the progress of the country.

He said the symposium would provide a platform for international collaborations and students would benefit from experience of research scholars from different parts of the world.

PU VC Dr Zaffar Moeen Nasir said that researchers at the CEMB were working for the welfare of commoners. He said that the cotton seed developed by the CEMB would save Rs144 billion of Pakistani farmers and bring revolution in the country.

Dr Tayyab Husnain said that the idea behind the international symposium was to gather scientists, share their experiences and search ways for collaboration.

He said that participation of number of scholars of molecular biologists from agriculture and health sectors in the symposium showed their interest.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017