VICE-CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE

Pakistan is affluent in livestock wealth but lacks ability to fully exploit this rich resource due to insufficient investment, inadequate professionals, technologies and value-addition activities. The need for diversification from a natural resource-dependent economy to high-value added activities is eminent.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nawaz
Vice-Chancellor
The development of livestock is amongst priorities of the Government of Pakistan. Such development requires additional trained manpower. The Chancellor has very rightly stated the need for new institutions to produce more veterinarians and animal scientists. In view of current shortage of competent teachers at the national level, it has become difficult to staff the existing faculties. The need for strategic planning to have adequate and proficient trainers is obvious.

The universities are hubs for knowledge generation, dissemination and scholarly education of younger generation. Specialist of contemporary knowledge and technique provide philosophical guidance for the sectors development.
The University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore growing in its earlier years requires prudence in development of desired physical infrastructure, disciplines and expertise. The UVAS plans to address extreme shortage of specialists. Education of existing educators for enhancing standards and engaging additional faculty members for advanced training is the solution. Specifically, senior and younger professionals ought to advance their communication skills, research process, subject IT, basic and advanced laboratory skills and on-farm and organic farming research and skills. Intensive short and long term training programs with indigenous and external resources can inculcate the required traits.
The strategic contributors in the Universities are faculty members. Continued evolution of the faculty in auspicious and economically vibrant milieu is facilitated by institutional leadership. Sustained economic independence is ascertained through Techno-Economic Cluster in livestock related financially viable activities. The faculty members aware of global developments, WTO needs, proficient in applied educational and research matters are intellectual asset for the institution. Such educationists produce specialists as well as practical/competent graduates conversant with required knowledge and technology in emerging global scenario in livestock/poultry sectors. The specialists address primary obstacles for national livestock and poultry development.
The problems of livestock production are related to health, genetics, nutrition and marketing. The young professionals should be capable of improving production and yield through better management of germ plasm, nutrition and disease preventive measures. Competence of graduates in technologies, value addition in milk, meat, fish, wool, skin, hides and casings will facilitate equitable development of rural and urban livestock.
Proficiency to implement modern breeding, embryo transfer techniques farming and value addition in the yields will help self reliance, reduce imports and improve exports. Diversification, conservation and preservation of wild life, biotechnology, gene sequencing, developing breeds and biologicals are long awaited expectations from the veterinarians. Proteomics, lipidomics and nanomedicine are the future challenges for the profession. The role of vets as trained biologists is recognized by their contributions in multiple scientific disciplines relevant to WTO, food safety and human health.
The responsibility of UVAS in producing educated manpower realizing its role in national progress, zootechnologies, protection of human health and alleviation of poverty through livestock sector development is the vital future expectation from the institution. Being passionate in outstretching the limits to create more value of the product (the graduates) for the stakeholders, we need to strive with the belief that the best has yet to come. The harder we try, the higher we fly with the greater honor.