FAISALABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 3rd Sep, 2026) A high-level Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team from the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) visited the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) on Thursday to inspect and physically verify the academic, research, and physical infrastructure of its agriculture and allied programs.
UAF spokesman said here on Thursday that the inspection forms part of a province-wide review to evaluate academic capacity, maintain institutional standards, and identify resource gaps across agricultural institutions in Punjab.
Prof Dr Khalid Saif Ullah, Chairperson of the National Accreditation Council for Education in Agriculture (NAEAC) led the delegation which included PHEC Director Accreditation Dr Mumtaz Khan, Coordinator Javaid Iqbal, Prof Dr Shakeel Ahmed and Prof Dr M. Razzaq of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, former Sargodha University faculty member Prof Dr Ejaz Ashraf, and Faisalabad Division Agriculture Extension Director Khalid Mahmood.
The delegation called on UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali at Syndicate Room.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali emphasized that independent evaluation was critical to aligning agricultural education with field realities. He said that higher education institutions must strengthen linkages between academic research, agricultural extension, and farming communities to effectively address emerging national food security challenges.
Prof Dr Khalid Saif Ullah said that the Primary objective of the monitoring exercise was to ensure that higher education institutions adhered to national quality benchmarks and produced graduates equipped to tackle real-world agricultural challenges.
He emphasized that maintaining rigorous accreditation standards, upgrading laboratory infrastructure, and fostering hands-on technical training were vital for modernizing Pakistan‘s agricultural sector and driving rural innovation.
He appreciated the role of UAF for food security and producing skilled manpower.
Deans Dr Ghulam Murtaza (Agriculture) and Dr Qamar Bilal (Animal Husbandry) briefed the evaluators on institutional capacity, enrollment metrics, and ongoing research initiatives.
The visit was coordinated by UAF Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) Director Prof Dr Amna Sahar and Additional Director Ahmad Raza Sattar.
The delegation also conducted physical audits across key departments including Plant Pathology, Agronomy, Entomology, Soil Science, Forestry, the Institute of Horticultural Sciences, the Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), Plant Breeding and Genetics (PBG), and the Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences.
The evaluators scrutinized laboratory infrastructure, faculty credentials, practical training arrangements, and administrative records, UAF spokesman added.
