NFEH, VU sign three-year agreement

Karachi

The Virtual University of Pakistan and National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) have entered into a three-year agreement under which students will be given special orientation and awareness session to help them be fully conversant about environmental issues and protect natural resources.

A memorandum of understanding was signed to this effect on Wednesday by VU Registrar Prof Dr Masroor Ellahi Baber and NFEH President Muhammad Naeem Qureshi, involving 35,000 students of 200 campus sites.

The purpose of this MoU, according to NFEH president Naeem Qureshi, is to begin collaboration between the entities to make the students responsible towards the environment keeping in mind the fast depletion of natural resources.

He said the NFEH had a vast experience of holding activities to train and sensitize people towards the cause of environmental protection since the forum had run several campaigns in this regard.

He said students of VU all over the
country and even Pakistani-origin students in overseas countries were like a
valuable asset and it would be beneficial to involve them in any campaign for the cause of environmental protection and conservation.

He said the country needed future leaders in all walks of life and professional fields who were fully aware and knowledgeable about the cause of protection and conservation of environment, natural resources, and sources of energy facing threatening situation in the region.  

Qureshi said experts and professionals associated with his forum would do their best to promote best practices recommended for protection of environment, conservation of depleting natural resources, searching for alternative and renewable sources of energy.

He said such practices will be
highly helpful for university students whenever they decided to enter in practical life since such professionals and managers
who went an extra mile for their surroundings were highly appreciated across the world

As an immediate follow up of this MoU, he said, his forum will invite VU students enrolled with partner institutions of the university in Karachi to participate in the upcoming citywide tree plantation drive under which some 300,000 tree saplings will be planted in the next four months.

Also speaking on the occasion, VU Registrar Prof Dr Masroor Ellahi Baber said the accord his university had signed with NFEH would be highly helpful for the varsity’s students in pursuit of their goals related to higher education, research, skill development and orientation regarding numerous environmental challenges present in the
society.