On Sept. 17, the launch ceremony of Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST) was held in Pakistan. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Atta-ur-Rahman, Chairman of Prime Minister’s Task Force on Science and Technology and Foreign Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Nasser A. K., President of PAF-IAST attended the ceremony. Jiangsu University (JSU) and PAF-IAST jointly build a Center of Excellence in “Agriculture Food Technologies”. Prof. Yan Xiaohong, President of JSU attended the ceremony online as a representative. The leaders from Beijing Jiaotong University, China University of Mining and Technology, Guangdong University of Technology, and PAF-IAST attended the ceremony.

“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”, as a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, is of great significance to the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Pakistan, said H.E. Imran Khan in his speech. Projects such as the Center of Excellence in “Agriculture Food Technologies” are important cooperation projects under the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” economic and social development initiative. He expressed gratitude to JSU and other Chinese representatives, and hoped that the parties involved in the joint construction of PAF-IAST could cultivate more high-level professionals in China-Pakistan cooperation, and promote China-Pakistan cooperation in agri-food, rail transit, mining development and other fields, thus making greater contributions to Sino-Pakistani friendship.

Academician Atta-ur-Rahman said that the PAF-IAST has received direct financial support from the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform of Pakistan, the National Development and Reform Commission of China, and China International Development Cooperation Agency. The cooperation between Chinese representatives including JSU and PAF-IAST comes at the right time. With the support of the governments of China and Pakistan, PAF-IAST could work closely with the Chinese universities to promote the leap-forward development of agriculture and food and other disciplines and talent cultivation.

All the participants expressed their warm congratulations on the launch of PAF-IAST. Leaders of International Office, Overseas Education College, and BRI College of International Talents attended the ceremony.