Agriculture university to collaborate with UK’s Leicester University for research: VC

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 30

The Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University (CSKHPAU), Palampur, will collaborate with the UK-based Leicester University in the field of research and other programmes. In addition to this, the university was also looking to collaborate with various leading laboratories across the world to provide its researchers with opportunities to work on the latest research equipment available in the respective fields, the university Vice Chancellor (VC), HK Chaudhary, said while talking to The Tribune.

The areas in which the CSKHPAU is looking to collaborate with the University of Leicester are conservation and protection of genetic resources of plants, animals and microbes of western Himalayas. “We intend to utilise the modern and novel strategies for efficient genetic enhancement in crops and livestock,” the VC said.

After the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) gives its approval, the CSKHPAU intends to start certificate programs of three weeks duration, certificate programs (online courses) of three weeks duration, joint courses and programs through educational partnerships and dual degree programs, including masters and diploma courses, in collaboration with University of Leicester, the VC said.

Earlier this month, the VC has visited the University of Leicester where he met his old associates, Professor Pat Heslop-Harrison and Dr Trude Schwarzacher. He also visited their laboratories at the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology of the university. “I also met the President and VC of the university, Prof Nishan Canagarajah, during my stay there,” Chaudhary said.

The VC said he intended to establish strong linkages between the two institutes for harnessing the ultra-modern technologies for capacity building in the field of chromosome engineering, molecular breeding and integrated use of geographic information system (GIS) and earth-observation technologies. Efforts in these fields would enable us to find solutions to combat various biotic and abiotic challenges being faced by various crop and animal species of north-western Himalayas due to the changing climatic scenarios, he said.

Mentioning about the facilities at the University of Leicester, he said it has one of the most advanced laboratories in the field of molecular cytogenetics. The university also has expertise in geoinformatics.

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