Speakers at the inaugural session of Rabi festival and DICE business plan competition on Wednesday called for strengthening industry-academia linkages and to promote innovative approaches to fight the challenges of modern era.

Speakers at the inaugural session of Rabi festival and DICE business plan competition on Wednesday called for strengthening industry-academia linkages and to promote innovative approaches to fight the challenges of modern era. Chairing the inaugural session of a six-day Rabi Festival including two-day DICE competition staged at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Wednesday, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that strong academia- industry linkages would pave the way to address the issue including food security, poverty alleviation and health sector. He called for sharpening the entrepreneurial skills in the students. He said that the agriculture is the backbone of our country which is contributing 21 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. He showed his concern that agriculture land was decreasing with a large pace whereas the rural population was moving towards urban areas. He stressed upon the need to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to problems of the general public and farming community. He also said that Punjab government was setting up a Knowledge Park in Lahore to develop knowledge-based economy with the investment worth billions of rupees every year. He demanded the government to declare Faisalabad a science city as it is having many knowledge and research institution that would make the collaborated efforts for the national cause. He said that in the recent US News and World Report on Education, the UAF is standing at 21st number worldwide in ISI listed publications in agricultural sciences. He said that the UAF was the only institution ranked among the top 100 varsities of the globe in any category. The university students’ current enrollment has surpassed 23000 whereas it is offering 165 degree programs with a special focus on agriculture and rural development. FCCI Vice President Ahmad Hassan said that there is the need to bridge the Academia and Industry to work together. He said that strong academia-industry linkages were the imperative to make the development and to compete with the rest of the world. DICE Chairman Sohail Jamal said that innovation was lifeblood of any nation and economy and is a key ingredient behind its sustainable progress and prosperity. He said that agriculture sector was facing 40 percent post harvest losses where the only 95 percent of the milk remained unprocessed. He said DICE is a strategic initiative of DICE Foundation, USA aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship culture in the country at all levels. He said that Dice provides a common platform for both academia and industry to share and collaborate on innovative concepts and products. UAF Director ORIC Zahir Ahmad Zahir, Dr Habib Aslam Gaba from FCCI, Sadaf Amir from JK Farm, Fritzz Bohmler from Germany, MPA Dr Najma Afzal, Dr Nadeem Tariq, Dr Ghafoor, Dr Waseem Ahmad and other notables also spoke on the occasion. As many as students from 21 universities participated part in DICE contest based on innovative ideas in agriculture and food sector. On November 3, the Dice contest prize distribution will be held at 5:00 pm at Exhibition Center. On November 4, one-day seminar on Indus Water Treaty will be held at 1:00 am at New Senate Hall with WAPDA Chairman Muzammil Hussain as the chief guest. On November 5, the Agri Exhibition will begin at exhibition center at 9:30 am following International Seminar on Cotton at New Senate Hall in which experts from 40 countries are taking part. The basketball match will be held at University Ground at 3:00 pm. On November 6, Punjab Agricultural Secretory Muhammad Mahmmod will chair the Farmer Convention at Iqbal Auditorium at 10:30 am. The Kabadi match and Tug of War match are arranged at 3:00 pm at University Ground and a cultural night at 7:30 at Iqbal Auditorium. On November 7, prize distribution of Agri Exhibition will be arranged at the Expo center at 5:00 pm.