Minister Inaugurates One Health Conference, UE Business Incubation Centre

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2026) Punjab Minister for Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat on Sunday inaugurated the two-day Interdisciplinary Research Conference on One Health (IRCOH 2026) at the University of Education (UE), Lahore, bringing together 32 vice chancellors, international researchers and experts to promote interdisciplinary collaboration on human, animal and environmental health. The minister also inaugurated the University of Education business Incubation Centre (UE-BIC), aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship, innovation, research commercialisation and the development of sustainable ventures. The conference, presided over by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry, attracted 200 to 250 participants, including vice chancellors from 32 universities, researchers, faculty members and students. Prof Dr Shagufta Andaleeb, Director of the Division of Science and Technology, served as conference chair. Following the inauguration, the Pakistan One Health Universities Network (PAKOHUN) held a meeting to discuss communication and capacity-building strategies, knowledge sharing and collaborative ventures among universities from across the country. The session was led by Dr Ihtisham ur Rehman of the University of Lancashire. IRCOH 2026 features 42 research papers, three foreign presenters and three international keynote speakers, with delegates from France, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and China. Experts from diverse disciplines, including biotechnology, engineering, cardiology, artificial intelligence, veterinary sciences, genomics, microbiology, infectious diseases, public health and cancer research, are participating. Addressing the inaugural session, Rana Sikandar Hayat said public-sector universities were making significant contributions to Punjab's higher education sector. He appreciated the University of Education's leadership for its institutional transformation and described its progress as a benchmark for other public-sector universities. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry highlighted the university's growing research and innovation ecosystem, citing the launch of its own research grant programme, three policies to strengthen academia-industry linkages, seven patent filings and six trademarks. He said the university's transformation builds on its educational legacy dating back to the 1880s while positioning UE as a leading STEAM institution for multidisciplinary education, research, innovation and experimentation. The conference aims to strengthen collaboration among universities, researchers and international experts to develop practical, research-based solutions for healthier communities and a sustainable future.