Srinagar: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir held a daylong workshop on “Universities’ Changing Role in Innovation Development” in which prominent innovation researchers and industry experts held sessions with the students.
he workshop was organised by the university’s Faculty of Horticulture in coordination with the World Bank-ICAR funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) for the institutional development of SKUAST-K. About 120 students and teachers from various faculties of the university participated in the workshop.
Dean Faculty of Horticulture, Prof Shabir Ahmad Wani, while welcoming the students and delegates, talked in detail about the need for innovation in the horticulture sector and gave an overview of the workshop.
The lead speakers, who held sessions with the students, were Dr Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh, an innovation researcher at Zhejiang University, China; Abdul Hamid Bhat (Rahim Greens), a motivational speaker, renowned businessman, philanthropist and environmental activist; and Dr Shahid Jibran, Coordinator JKEDI. Dr Fayaz who researches Frugal Digital Innovations and Regional Development shared regional and international scenarios on innovation development with students and faculty. Abdul Hamid in his talk emphasized the importance to inculcate ethics, optimism and self-reliance among students in their quest to excel, innovate and acquire marketable skills. Dr Shahid Jibran dwelled upon the changing paradigm for the universities to stay relevant in the current innovation-driven market economy. Earlier Dr Aabid Khalid and Dr Barkat Hussain made brief presentations on their respective patents in Silkworm waste processing and pheromone technology that earned them BIRAC grants in excess of Rs 50 lakh each.
The workshop was presided by Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-K Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai who emphasized inculcating innovation and startup culture among students. Prof Ganai reiterated his commitment towards making SKUAST-K the first innovation-driven agricultural university in the country. He said SKUAST-K has taken a number of initiatives to encourage students towards innovation and tech-driven agriculture. To hand-hold students and teachers of the university towards the creation of startups and to create an entrepreneurship ecosystem at the campuses, he said, SKUAST-K is working towards opening a SKIIE Centre and AI&ML Centre.
Sixth-ranked State Agriculture University, SKUAST-K was recently placed in ‘Band Excellent’ in the prestigious Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements. In an effort to sensitise students and faculty ahead of the proposed ‘Innovation and Ideathon Competition’ among various faculties of SKUAST-K, the workshop was organized by Dr Imtiyaz Nazki and Dr Zahoor Rather of the Division of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture.

KR Desk