Islamabad:A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on joint research and development of food nutrition and functional foods, as well as joint talent training, was signed last week by representatives of four institutions.
The signing ceremony took place during the China-Pakistan S&T Cooperation Conference on Food & Medicinal Resources for Nutrition and Health, bringing together over 50 experts, scholars and industry representatives from research institutes, universities, regulatory authorities and enterprises from both countries to witness the occasion.
The MOU was jointly signed by Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMSTECH); Wang Fengzhong, Director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Liu Rongrong, Director General of the Institute of Food Science and Technology under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); and Peng Jun, Director of the National Nanfan Research Institute under CAAS.
Under the MOU, the four parties will combine their strengths in research platforms, germplasm resources, core technologies and talent training to advance cooperation.
The collaboration will focus on several key areas, including basic research on food and medicinal resources, precision development of functional foods, joint establishment of international laboratories, training of young researchers, applications for cross-border research projects, and the regular hosting of high-level academic conferences.
