The National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council (NAEAC), Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Pakistan are partnering to introduce new courses on “Food System Transformation” in Pakistani universities. This initiative aligns with the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (Particularly SDG-1, 2, 3, 5, 12 & 13) and emphasizes the importance of education in ensuring food security for vulnerable populations.
A National Course Design Workshop was held, where stakeholders and experts discussed curriculum development on “Food System Transformation & adopting the Food Systems Dashboard” as a food systems data platform. The workshop successfully developed the curriculum content for undergraduate and postgraduate students by integrating principles of food systems transformation.
Mr. Saqib Ali Ateel, Secretary of Agriculture for South Punjab, commended the incorporation of climate change and environmental concerns into the course content. He emphasized the importance of blockchain and Artificial Intelligence in modern food systems and agriculture, stating that their inclusion in the curriculum will enable the training of future generations to meet evolving needs. Mr. Saqib further noted the significant involvement of the female population in agriculture and highlighted the importance of including gender aspects in the courses to address gender-based inequalities in the food system.
Earlier, Dr. Fayyaz ul Hassan, Chairperson NAEAC mentioned the recommendation of the council, he appreciated the support of course design experts across the country for their consensus on the course content and stated that this workshop is important in light of the fact that we are just a few months away from the start of the Fall 2024 semester and our goal is to incorporate all of these courses in Fall 2024 semester of the Pakistani universities as a part of the approved curriculum.
Mr. Faiz Rasool, Head of Policy and Advocacy, GAIN, provided a brief snapshot of the global and national perspectives on food system transformation. He critically analysed the challenges of food security at global and national levels, indicating the importance of including education system in transforming food systems in Pakistan. According to him, the development of these courses is a critical aspect of transforming the food system and aligning national policies with the international commitment that Pakistan made during United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021. Faiz Rasool further announced that GAIN, with support from NAEAC, will also train 250 students on the Pakistan Food System Dashboard through a comprehensive internship program.
The National Course Design Workshop successfully finalized the curriculum modules, aligning them with national priorities and international standards by integrating food systems transformation principles into higher education.
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