Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) and the Rural Development Foundation (RDF) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote collaboration and rural development, with a primary focus on empowering women in agriculture.

The MoU was signed on September 16, 2024, aims to strengthen capacity building and initiate joint interventions such as research programs, conferences, and training workshops.

The signing ceremony was held at PMAS-AAUR campus, where Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem, Vice Chancellor of PMAS-AAUR, and Brig. Muhammad Aslam Khan (Retd), President of RDF, formalized the agreement. Other prominent participants included Dr. Tariq Mukhtar, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, and Dr. Gulshan Irshad, head of the Center for Excellence in Training and Empowerment of Women in Agriculture (CETEWA), alongside various faculty members and representatives from both organizations.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem said, this collaboration marks a significant step toward realizing the potential of women in rural areas and transforming agriculture into a more inclusive and sustainable sector. With Pakistan economy heavily dependent on agriculture, empowering women at the grassroots level is critical to ensuring long-term rural development and food security.

This partnership also aims to advance rural communities by promoting women skill development and economic empowerment in the agricultural sector across Pakistan. RDF will also offer internship placements for PMAS-AAUR students, providing practical experience in rural development projects.