Professor Muhammad Ashraf, chairman of Pakistan Science Fund Committee (PSF) and Professor Muhammad Afzal, dean of the department of agriculture of the University of Sargodha(U.S.), paid a visit to Lanzhou University, at the invitation of Lanzhou University, during April 12th to 15th. Hao Yuan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province, met with the delegation at Zhongshan Hall of Provincial Government of Gansu. President Wang Cheng also attended the meeting, on the afternoon of April 14th.
Hao Yuan first expressed his warm welcome to the Parkistani scholars. During the meeting, President Wang said that the research center is an important platform for Lanzhou University to extend its cooperative researches in response to “One Belt and One Road” Strategy. The university is to include the center into the research base of renewable energy sources. He also expressed that, both sides should strengthen the exchange and cooperation in various areas on the basis of the cooperative agreement,, such as academic cooperation, student exchange, talent training, etc. Meanwhile, he encouraged the center and its staff to apply for major projects of international cooperation funded by national ministries.
Ashraf reviewed the general situation of cooperation between PSF and LZU, then expressed their gratitude to the reception by the Provincial Government and the university, and showed his willingness to proactively promote the all-round cooperation between Gansu Province and PSF. He said that, PSF has set up its cooperative base in the University Sargodha, aiming to implement the agreement and strengthen the cooperation with Lanzhou University in arid agriculture ecology, . It will continue to accelerate its construction of laboratories for crop science, soil science, agro-informatics, and molecular biology. Besides, PSF has made an investment of 1.3 million US dollars as the initial fund. He expected that, through the joint efforts of different parties, the center would make solid achievements on talent training, cooperative researches and so on.
After the interview, on behalf of Lanzhou University, PSF and the University of Sargodha respectively, President Wang, Chairman Ashraf and Dean Afzal held the inauguration and signed the Triple Agreement on “LZU-PSF-U.S. Cooperative Research Center on Dry Farming Agriculture”.
(Translated by Wen Jing, Chen Yan; proofread by Sissi Xu)
