100 Pakistani Agriculture Graduates Finish Six-Month Capacity-Building Programme in China
Another group of 100 Pakistani agriculture graduates has successfully completed a six-month specialised capacity-building programme in crop breeding and genomics in China, marking the completion of Batch II under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Graduates.
A certificate-awarding ceremony was held at the Southwest University of Science and Technology in Mianyang, located in China’s Sichuan Province, formally concluding the training programme, according to Gwadar Pro. The graduates arrived in China in July 2025 as part of the second batch of the government-supported initiative aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s agricultural research, innovation, and productivity through international exposure and advanced training.
P.c. China Pakistan Economic Corridor
Officials said the programme was designed to equip young professionals with modern crop improvement techniques and climate-resilient farming practices to help Pakistan address food security challenges. The six-month course provided extensive hands-on training in precision agriculture, advanced sensor technologies, molecular breeding, genome-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9, smart agriculture systems, automation, and the application of big data and artificial intelligence in crop development.
Speaking at the ceremony, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, congratulated the graduates and appreciated the role of the host university in delivering high-quality training. He encouraged the participants to utilise their newly acquired skills to promote agricultural productivity, research, and innovation upon their return to Pakistan.
The ambassador emphasised that agriculture remains a critical pillar of Pakistan’s economy and highlighted the importance of closer Pakistan–China collaboration to strengthen food security through shared expertise, technology transfer, and scientific cooperation.
One of the graduates, Muhammad Hamid Khan, described the programme as a highly valuable professional experience, noting that it enhanced his technical knowledge and motivated him to contribute more effectively to Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
The Prime Minister’s Initiative for Capacity Building of 1,000 Agricultural Graduates is being implemented in multiple phases across several Chinese universities. While Batch II completed its training at the Southwest University of Science and Technology, other batches are currently undergoing or have completed similar programmes in different regions of China. The initiative is jointly implemented by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Higher Education Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Pakistan’s Embassy in Beijing, in collaboration with Chinese partner institutions, to modernise Pakistan’s agriculture sector through skills development and technology transfer.