UoG signs five-year research agreement with Brazilian university

GUJRAT:  The University of Gujrat (UoG) has signed a five-year agreement with Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) to promote research collaboration, academic exchanges and joint scientific activities.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the university’s Hafiz Hayat Campus by UoG Registrar Muhammad Naeem Butt and Professor Dr Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior of the Centre of Biotechnology at UFRGS, Porto Alegre, during a ceremony held under the supervision of Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Zahoor-ul-Haq.

Under the agreement, the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences at UoG will work with UFRGS’s Centre of Biotechnology on joint research projects, academic activities, scientific publications and the exchange of research data and information.
The partnership also provides for the exchange of faculty members and professionals in academic, research and administrative fields. However, the agreement’s practical impact will depend on the research projects initiated, faculty participation and opportunities made available to students at both institutions.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chancellor Dr Zahoor-ul-Haq said Pakistan’s young population had considerable potential and that international academic partnerships could help strengthen scientific thinking and research capabilities.
He said such arrangements would expose students and researchers to international expertise and create opportunities to explore new areas of scientific investigation.

The signing ceremony was followed by a seminar titled “Tick Protection Vaccines: Outcomes, Progress and Perspectives”, in which Professor Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior discussed developments in anti-tick vaccines and their potential application in livestock protection.
He explained that tick infestations and tick-borne diseases posed challenges to livestock health, while conventional control methods, including chemical sprays and dips, could have toxic effects and contribute to resistance among ticks.
According to him, anti-tick vaccines offer an alternative biological approach by stimulating animals’ immune systems to target essential proteins in ticks, potentially reducing infestations and the spread of related diseases.

Director of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC), Professor Dr Adil Rashid, introduced the visiting academic.
Professor Dr Abid, chairperson of the Department of Zoology at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, and Professor Dr Samira Afshin, chairperson of the Department of Zoology at UoG, also attended the seminar, along with department heads, faculty members and students.

The agreement adds a Brazilian institution to UoG’s international academic links. Its effectiveness will ultimately be measured by whether the five-year arrangement produces sustained research projects, scientific publications and meaningful opportunities for students and faculty members.