KARACHI: International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) and the University of Karachi (UoK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two the leading Chinese research and academic institutions on Thursday.
The agreements aim to advance science and technology through bold and collaborative research and education while addressing challenges of national, regional, and global significance, said an official of the ICCBS.
He said that the international centre had signed two agreements with the School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, China (SPHUCM), and Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Phytohormones, Hunan Agricultural University, China (KLPHAU) during the three-day 9th ANRAP International Seminar held at the International Center during January 25 to 27, 2019.
ICCBS-UoK Director Professor Dr Iqbal Choudhary, SPHUCM Deputy Associate Dean Professor Dr Xinhua Xia, and KLPHAU Director Professor Dr Langtao Xiao signed the MoUs on behalf of their institutions in a meeting held at the Dr Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD) at the UoK.
Chinese scholars including Professor Dr Wei Wang and officials from the international centre were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Iqbal Choudhary said that ICCBS and two leading Chinese institutions intended to work together for their mutual benefit in the field of biological and chemical sciences. He opined that the agreement aimed to promote scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries and added that ICCBS-UoK was one of the country’s most eminent centres of excellence.
“This international centre is considered the top one of the finest academic research establishments of chemical and biological sciences in the developing world,” he maintained.
The Chinese officials congratulated Dr Choudhary for introducing world-class research facilities at the centre. also visited the various state-of-the art laboratories setup in CBSCR, the Jamil-ur- Rahman Center for Genome Research, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, as well as the Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research.
As per the MoU, it was agreed that an exchange of research staff and facilities will take place between both the institutions.
The areas of cooperation include joint supervision of graduate students, including masters and PhD students and researchers in the areas of chemistry, biology, biotechnology, molecular medicine, pharmacology, and natural and life sciences.