University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

The challenges to world agriculture include ever growing human population, climate change and limiting natural resources where the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF), the undisputed standard bearer of South Asia in the realm of higher education and research in agriculture, realizes its responsibility to meet the current and future needs to ensure food security and mitigate the challenge. The UAF evolved in the early 60s from an agriculture college founded in 1906 by upgrading the former Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, (Faisalabad) that was, in its own right, a widely acclaimed institution. UAF has its roots in early days of canal colonies which played a significant role to ensure food security in a country facing repeated famines. It has been providing leadership since the days of Green Revolution. UAF graduates created poultry industry which is second largest sector of country's economy since 1970s and revolutionized cotton cultivation which has based the top segment of Pakistan's economy, the textiles industry since 1980s.. The Islamic Development Bank (1DB) awarded UAF with the S&T prize 2012 on the basis of its contribution promoting science and technology. The selection of UAF to establish the Center for Advanced Studies in Food Security/Agriculture by USAID and HEC is a vivid example of its competence and excellence. UAF achieved the NTU ranking in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and The QS Top Universities Ranking in 2013, 2014, 2015,  2016, 2017 in the subject category (agriculture and forestry). UAF achieved UI GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 while the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2017 and 2018. To date, the university has produced 1587 PhD, 5002 MPhil/MS, 38559 MSc (Hons.)/MSc/MBA, and 33614 BSc (Hons.)/DVM. The university has 696 on-going research projects including PhD projects worth 2547.52 million rupees while 2266 research projects worth 29211.47 million rupees have been submitted to various funding agencies. UAF has signed 142 international, 29 national and 41 private MoUs to uplift the research culture and to promote faculty and student exchange programs.

UAF has achieved a number of milestones in its research programs and transfer of knowledge and technology to the stakeholders. Salient achievements include: introduction and development of new varieties and hybrids of citrus (Kinnow Mandarin from California USA, and Feutral's Early from Australia), vegetables (PARS-70 of potato), wheat (LU-26, SARC-1, SARC­5, 9272, 9476, elite line WV-1038), cotton (LSS, PB-38), chickpea (AUG-209), mungbean (yellow Mosaic virus resistant 56-2), lentil (Strain AUL 18-10), maize (synthetic UM-1), Maize Pro-vitamin A, HP-1097-2, HP-1097-11, HP-1097-18, Brassica (UAF-11), sunflower (elite lines, G-2, G-5, G-68, G­72), sorghum (elite lines, PBG-Sorg-I and PBG-Sorg-II) cotton variety PB-896  and chicken breeds (Lyallpur Silver Black and UniGold). In addition to the above crop varieties and animal breeds, the scientists at UAF have developed a number of technologies (farm implements and vaccines) for improved production, protection and commercialization of agricultural products and commodities and are available (101-Innovation Catalogue). Please see contents of Innovation Catalogue. http://uaf.edu.pk/Catalouge/101/contents.html