The Xinjiang Agricultural University (XAU) China and University of Agriculture Faisalabad will enhance their academia and research ties in order to get benefit from each other experiences. It was discussed at meeting of a delegation of XAU with UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at Syndicate Room.

The Chinese delegation was led by XAU Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences Prof Yao Gang and others including Prof Dr Liu Liqiang, Prof Guo Qingyong, Wang Jinquan and UAF Confucius Centre Dean Yang. The meeting also decided to start a joint degree programme Doctor of Veterinary Medicines in which students will spent two years in UAF and two years in XAU China. The meeting also discussed the possibility of student-faculty exchange programs that will help get benefit from each other knowledge and research avenue. The meeting also discussed establishment of Food Production Chair at the UAF to conduct the valuable research and the knowledge sharing. The Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the UAF believes in knowledge diversification and 20 UAF faculty members had completed their PhDs from China and several are perusing their degrees there. He said that the five PhDs scholarships were in the pipeline. He said that UAF houses Chinese language and cooking courses Confucius Institute as the cultural exchange program. He floated the idea to set up a fruit chair in collaboration with XAU for joint research projects. He said that the UAF had introduced ten new varieties of mangoes, oil seed variety UAF 11 and indigenous hen breed Unigold. Prof Yao Gang said that faculty and students exchange programms will pave a way for agricultural development. He said that both universities are enjoying the good relations and similarities in the fee and pay structure. He said that the 23000 students were studying in their university. He said that the their province was having the population 24 million people whereas 25 universities are working. Prof Dr Ashfaq Ahmad also spoke on the occasion.