University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF): History & Importance

With six departments, three institutes, seven allied disciplines and a center, UAF has a wide array of options!

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF): History & Importance
University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF): History & Importance
Sarah Asif
November 10, 2022
Blogs

When we think of agriculture institutions in Pakistan, the name of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad immediately comes to mind. Older than the country it is in, and being one of the largest universities of Pakistan by size of land, University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF) was founded in 1906 by Sir Louis Dane, and was named Punjab Agriculture College and Research Institute in Lyallpur (old name of Faisalabad before 1977). Given it was sandwiched between two canals in an undivided Punjab, the location was set up in a suitable area for the mandate it was provided.

Even before the Partition of 1947, the land that makes up  Pakistan was perfectly suited for agriculture.  Even today one of the main sources of income for the country is agriculture. One of the largest sectors of the economy, agriculture contributes to about 18.9% of the total GDP. It was for this very reason that the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad was founded - to advance and refine the output produced in the agriculture sector via education and innovation, bringing together students and faculty in a suitable environment where agriculture thrives. . In view of the fact that agriculture was such a central part of Pakistan and this university, the institution was eventually renamed the University of Agriculture. 

Historical Image of UAF in early 20th century.

Since its inauguration about a century ago, with a few bumps along the way - such as a rapid decline in admissions in 1913, so much so that the university could not even term it a full batch - the institution bounced back and expanded quickly, adapting to the changing world around it. While it first started out with a programme called ‘Licentiate of Agriculture’, the programme was not very successful. However, under the administration then, the programme began to thrive, eventually awarding its first MSc degree shortly after, in 1920.  Since then it has expanded to offer 41 comprehensive degrees to an average of 25,000 students in the undergraduate programme alone, along with over 14,000 postgraduate degrees awarded in both the Masters and PhD programmes to scholars. It is because of these phenomenal milestones that the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad has been ranked fifth in terms of quality nationwide

What is it that is so special about the UAF’s campus, aside from its rich and intriguing history, that makes it so integral? With six departments, three institutes, seven allied disciplines and a Center of Agriculture Biochemistry and Biotechnology, UAF has a wide array of options to choose from.

Aerial View of Univeristy of Agriculture Faisalabad.

Majorly dependent on agriculture, better knowledge of farming and cultivation leading to technological innovation is a dire need of the current times, where the quality of output can be vastly improved, leading to a much more stable economy. As put by the current Vice Chancellor of UAF, Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, UAF has a ‘specialized mandate’ and is the ‘trendsetter’ for such a cumbersome goal, taking the forefront and leading innovation on agricultural issues. UAF has the opportunity, talent and ability to spearhead the evolution of the agricultural sector to revolutionize the landscape for research, farming and agritech developments in Pakistan.  The idea was clear when an alumnus of UAF set up a brand new agricultural university in Ludhiana, India. Further branches of UAF are also found in Toba Tek Singh and Burewala in Pakistan, as these are areas  where an abundance of cash crops are grown. 

Additionally, UAF is also a research institute - one having published over 90 research projects in collaboration with institutes such as the University of California, Davis. Their research funding has ranged from thousands of dollars to millions per project spanning over  two to three  years. The topics range from molecular epidemiology of mycobacterium bovis to social issues such as the impact on women and families who were left behind by family members who migrated abroad. The contributions of these projects pertain to socioeconomic issues, politics and to a much more pressing and relevant predicament of the deadly effects of climate change. 

The work done by UAF in recent years has made it more eco-friendly, introducing technology to increase accessibility and trying to reduce carbon footprints - from innovating sustainable agriculture to the use of climate friendly pesticides for crops. 

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF): History & Importance

Content Writer & Part of Research Team at PAR

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