Belarus Education Minister Offers Higher Education Opportunities in High Tech Science Areas

Islamabad (27.05.2015): The Education Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Zhuravkov Mikhail, and the Chairman of Presidium of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), Acad. Vladimir G. Gusakov, who are currently on a state visit to Pakistan, visited the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad and the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Islamabad on 26-27 May, 2015. The Secretary General of Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), Prof. Dr. Zabta K. Shinwari, coordinated their visit to both the institutions. While visiting these institutions, both the dignitaries appreciated the ongoing programs of higher education and agricultural research in multifarious areas of science and expressed keen interest for mutual collaboration with scientists and institutions of Pakistan. The Minister of Education of Belarus offered its country’s support in Pakistan’s efforts for higher education and scientific/agricultural research by way of supporting Post-doctoral research and doctoral research of Pakistani PhD scholars in Belarus through Split PhD program, through the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. The Belarusian dignitaries expressed keen interest for collaboration in a wide range of scientific areas which included genetic engineering, genomics, agricultural equipments including farm machinery and post-harvest processing, food technology, information technology, horticulture, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sciences. They also expressed their desire for holding joint seminars, symposia and conferences in scientific areas of mutual interest.

The President of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Dr. Anwar Nasim, welcomed the offer of support and collaboration between scientists and scientific institutions of the two countries and assured the visiting dignitaries from Belarus of all out support and cooperation from the Pakistani side in this endeavor of national significance. He shared his eagerness for a productive and mutually beneficial collaboration for a win-win situation for both the countries. For formalize the arrangement for scientific cooperation and collaboration between scientists of the two countries, the Chairman of Presidium of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and President of Pakistan Academy of Sciences are scheduled to sign a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 29 May 2015 at the Prime Minster Office in Islamabad in the presence of the Honorable President of the Republic of Belarus and the Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan. UNP