China and Pakistan agreed to boost cooperation through the "China- Pakistan Joint Laboratory on Smart Disaster Management/Prevention of Major Infrastructures" established in Tianjin, China Economic Net (CEN) reported quoting Khan Muhammad Wazir, Science Counsellor, Embassy of Pakistan in China. The Joint Laboratory will act as a platform to train Researchers and Scientists from Pakistan at Master and Doctoral levels as well as other high-level talents in fields such as civil engineering, smart disaster prevention, and big data related to major infrastructure including high rises, dams, ports, bridges, railway platforms, etc. 

Khan stated that the platform will strengthen exchanges and communication between scientific communities of the two sides and will serve the people of both countries. The Joint Laboratory is administered by the Ministry of Science and Technology, China. China’s Southeast University, Shenzhen University, Tianjin Fire Research Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Management, and Hefei Institute of Public Safety of Tsinghua University are partner Organizations/Universities from Chinese side while the University of Science and Technology Bannu is the Partner University from the Pakistani side. 

The partner universities and research institutions from both China and Pakistan will use the Laboratory as a platform to apply for Chinese Scientific Research Projects and avail of Scientific Research funding. “The Chinese Partners Universities will invite government personnel and University Researchers from Pakistan to visit China for short-term exchanges and learning, and to enhance the friendship between China and Pakistan”, he told CEN.  “To make the cooperation more active and to achieve the objectives of the Joint Laboratory, we need to include more Universities from the Pakistani side in this cooperation.

The Chinese side has agreed to my proposal”, he added. Khan said that the Lab will jointly organize International Conferences to promote Belt and Road Joint laboratories and relevant scientific research institutions in China and Pakistan on the international stage.He mentioned that the construction of this laboratory not only focuses on academic research but also pivots on the promotion of Chinese intelligent disaster prevention technology in Pakistan and other Belt and Road countries.It is worth mentioning that the China-Pakistan Joint Lab is one of the total seven joint laboratories China has set up with BRI Countries.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP