VC Exhorts Punjabi Diaspora in Australia to Support Agricultural Development

Ludhiana,
A five member Australian delegation led by Mr Alistair Coe, leader of the opposition, ACT Legislative Assembly, Canberra visited PAU and discussed areas of synergy with senior PAU officers. In his remarks, Mr Coe outlined historical and institutional similarities between the two countries and pressed for exploration of potential collaboration areas with University of Canberra. He opined that the there was need create a long lasting knowledge base through having joint degree programmes between the two universities as well as exchange and interaction of students.

The Vice Chancellor, Dr B.S. Dhillon, while discussing the agricultural scenario in Punjab, urged the PAU alumni and Punjabi Diaspora in general to sponsor the boarding and lodging of agriculture students going for higher studies to Australia. He further elaborated on PAU’s strong linkages with major Australian universities and stressed on areas of research, faculty exchange and up gradation, student exchange and new degree programmes as the major areas for collaboration.

Dr Neelam Grewal, Dean PGS, PAU, highlighted the areas of Ecological Chemistry and Toxicology as areas for partnership. She also put forward the proposal of dual degree programme in food science technology and modeling on water resources.

The delegates were accompanied by two PAU Alumnii, Dr Sunita Dhindsa, Secretary of the Federation of Indian Associations of Australian Capital Territory (FINACT) and Dr Harjinder Dhindsa who represent Indian interests in the local government. They have founded an association of PAU alumni in Australia to collect funds for supporting higher agricultural education of poor Indian students in Australia.