Chairman Higher Education Commission Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmad on Saturday said that Universities are mandated for building communities through transferring their technologies among the people and providing recommendations to policy makers as think-tank to address the issue of common man.

He along with UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Austrian International Institute for Applied System Analysis Director General Dr Pavel Kabat, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rai Niaz, executive member of Famers Associates of Pakistan Afaq Tiwana, University of Poonch, Rawalakot Vice Chancellor Dr Manzoor Hussain Khan and other notables inaugurated the exhibition. It brings more than 40 stalls displaying the different models, technologies, handicraft, related to agriculture, food and textile industry. Tens of speculators come in piles at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad to enjoy the colors of Agricultural Exhibition began on Saturday. It is part of UAF ongoing six-day Spring Festival that will continue till March 23. Addressing on the occasion, Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that researchers should not piled up in the libraries. It must be translated into goods and services. He added that researchers and experts should come up with the innovative ideas to give the suggestion to policy makers about the agriculture, energy and water issue. He said that the country was under the grip of water scarcity as the per capita water availability has reached to the threshold level. He said that the HEC was making all out efforts to promote the education, quality researchers and trained manpower to address the issue of the common man. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that country was passing through the multiple challenges including food insecurity, water issue, unemployment and the other areas. He said that the festival was meant to provide a platform to the farming community, common man, scientists, academia, industry and policy makers to sit together and to find out the way to jack up agricultural productivity. He stressed upon the need for development of rural areas as the poverty alleviation was directly linked to it. He said that the research portfolio of the UAF has touched to Rs 2 billion. Dr Pavel Kabat stressed upon the need to enhancing scientific partnerships with academic community and to develop the strategic collaboration. He said that the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) established in 1972 had been conducting policy-oriented research into problems of a global nature that are too large or too complex to be solved by a single country or academic discipline. He said IIASA has 22 member organizations representing Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He said that IIASA 2011-2020 research plan focuses three major global problem areas facing humanity today including Energy and Climate Change; Food and Water; and Poverty and Equity. Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad said that per acre production of the country was very low compared to the other countries. He said that step up efforts are needed on the part of scientists, academia, and other stakeholders to address the issue.