Both universities agreed to promote and encourage short- and long-term exchanges of faculty members and professionals between ICCBS and UOS.
The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of Karachi University and the University of Sargodha (UoS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday for the promotion of academic and research endeavors. Both ICCBS Director Prof. Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry (S.I., H.I., T.I.) and UoS Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas signed the agreement to promote joint research projects, and joint publications .
Both universities agreed to promote and encourage short- and long-term exchanges of faculty members and professionals between ICCBS and UOS in the fields of particular interest, acknowledging the significance of the active engagement of academic members and researchers.
In the areas of shared interest, both parties agreed to promote joint research projects, and joint publications would also be supported. Other elements of the MoU included faculty training and jointly organizing national and international workshops, seminars, symposia, and conferences.
Along with encouraging collaboration in research, the UoS and ICCBS would submit joint funding requests for research projects to national and international organizations. Additionally, the Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC) office hosted a special lecture at NBS School Hall titled “Science at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology.”
The director of the ICCBS, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry (S.I., H.I., T.I. ), outlined how chemistry and biology are intrinsically linked despite the formal distinction between the two scientific fields.
He went on to say that the fusion of these two disciplines had given rise to fields like chemical biology, bio-organic chemistry, chemical ecology, and most recently, chemical biology. He added that the newest of the fields to emerge from the chemistry and biology interface, chemical biology, involves research that uses synthetic chemical species to study biological systems.
He continued, “Perhaps it was best that the intersection of Chemistry and Biology constantly redefines itself and spawns new sub-disciplines to serve humanity.” The honourable guest was thanked, and his contributions were appreciated by Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas. The vice chancellor also exhorted faculty members and students to make a positive impact on society through high-calibre research and original concepts.