Workshop on research grant writing skills begins at SKUAST-K

Srinagar, Nov 9: A six-day workshop ‘‘Leveraging Agriculture and Food Systems for Human Health: Opportunities for Transdisciplinary Research and Teaching’ today kickstarted at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar campus. The workshop will focus on improving research grant writing skills in PhD students.
The workshop was organised by SKUAST-K’s Division of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Horticulture jointly with the University at Buffalo, New York, USA.
Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir A Ganai, who was the chief guest at the inaugural address, shed light on how SKUAST-K has evolved in recent years and has been an example for others to follow in Pedagogy Teaching, Research, Innovations, Startups and how transdisciplinary research and teaching is translated to five stakeholders: the Students, Farmers, Consumer, Agri-industries and stressed the need for Transdisciplinary research and Pedagogy in Teaching.
Prof Samina Raja, Director, Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, University at Buffalo, USA, who delivered the keynote lecture, emphasized connecting agriculture, food systems with human health. Changes in food environments and food habits globally – and in Kashmir — are having a devastating effect on human health. For example, non-communicable chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and Cancers are on the rise. Therefore, it is the right time to streamline and strengthen local food systems for better health. The speaker also shed light on the Haakh (Kale) project that is jointly being done by Dr Khalid Masoodi’s Lab at Division of Plant Biotechnology, SKUAST-K and Dr Samina’s Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, UB, USA. The Haakh project is exploring the power of indigenous foods for better health. The lecture was followed by elaborated discussion and a Q&A session regarding the possibility of leveraging food systems for human health.
Dr Khalid Z Masoodi, Assistant Professor, Division of Plant Biotechnology SKUAST-K the Co-Coordinator of the workshop delivered the opening remarks and briefed about the workshop.
Fifteen students from different faculties across SKUAST-K have been selected for an intensive, interactive workshop by the coordinator, UB Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, USA. The workshop will focus on improving Research Grant writing skills in PhD students who are nearing completion of their PhDs. The inaugural function was also attended by Director, Education, Prof MAA Siddique, Registrar, Prof Tariq H Masoodi, Dean, Faculty of Horticulture, Prof Shabir A Wani, OSD to VC, Prof Azmat Alam Khan, Associate Director Research, Prof Arshad, H. Mughal, Head of The Division of Plant Biotechnology, Prof M Ashraf Bhat.