UoG charts path to climate challenges

VC Prof. Dr Zahoor-ul-Haq urges faculty and scholars to come up with proposals and secure grants for innovative projects

GUJRAT: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 30th, 2026) The University of Gujrat’s renewed focus on fostering research and innovation under its first-ever five-year strategic plan has started bearing fruit, both in terms of quality and quantity that are almost doubled.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Zahoor-ul-Haq expressed these views while addressing the closing ceremony of the three‑day international workshop on “Climate‑Smart Development and Carbon Neutrality Strategies in the Context of CPEC Tools, Policies and Innovation” at Hafiz Hayat Campus on Wednesday.

The VC urged the faculty and scholars to come up with proposals and secure grants for innovative projects, saying the reforms and policies introduced by him would catapult the UoG as the top ranking university of Pakistan.

The University of Gujrat’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) organized the workshop.

Dean Faculty of Science and Director ORIC Prof. Dr. Audil Rashid chaired the opening ceremony.

The workshop’s resource person, Dr. Wei Li from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, a renowned expert in Earth System Science, delivered insights on global climate change challenges.

Guest speakers included Dr. Umar Rasheed, Chairperson Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology, and Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad, Chairperson Department of Mathematics.

The workshop aimed to bring faculty and postgraduate researchers together to examine rapid climate variations, understand underlying causes and explore effective solutions. Dr. Wei Li highlighted that climate change has become a pressing global issue, threatening ecosystems and human survival. He stressed the importance of interdisciplinary research and Pakistan‑China collaboration under CPEC.

Prof. Dr. Audil Rashid urged researchers to focus on identifying root causes of adverse climate shifts and to pursue serious scientific efforts for environmental sustainability.

The workshop witnessed active participation from faculty and MPhil/PhD scholars across multiple departments, reinforcing the University of Gujrat’s commitment to advancing climate research and sustainable development.