KFUEIT Holds Inaugural ORIC Steering Committee Meeting to Accelerate Research, Innovation, and Industry Collaboration

RAHIM YAR KHAN – August 5, 2025 – The Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT) today announced the successful conclusion of its first ORIC (Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization) Steering Committee meeting. The landmark meeting, held at the university's Admin Block Meeting Hall, was presided over by the Worthy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ir. Amir Azam Khan, and focused on driving forward the university’s research and development agenda.

Director ORIC, Dr. M. Saif Ur Rehman, presented a comprehensive report on the office’s progress. He highlighted that the ORIC Research & Management Wing has already circulated over 15 calls for research proposals from national and international funding agencies to KFUEIT faculty. Dr. Rehman also announced that research projects valued at over PKR 40 million have been submitted, while a significant PKR 50 million in research funding has already been approved by key organizations like the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Sugarcane R&D Board, and Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF). The committee also received updates on recent academic, industrial, and international partnerships.

The meeting welcomed key industry representatives, including Mr. Shaheer Iqbal, the Acting President of the RYK Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Mr. Iftikhar Bajwa from JDW Sugar Mills. Mr. Iqbal commended KFUEIT’s performance and recommended that ORIC organize sector-specific meetings between faculty and industry officials to inform local businesses about the university's research outcomes. Mr. Bajwa emphasized the importance of focusing on agro-industries to support local development and proposed a meeting between the local sugar industry and KFUEIT faculty to establish a working group. He also assured the committee that JDW Sugar Mills is willing to collaborate on funding R&D activities and providing paid internships for students and faculty.

Worthy Vice Chancellor Prof. Ir. Amir Azam Khan and the committee members praised the ORIC’s progress and approved crucial initiatives, including the KFUEIT Research and IP Rights Policies 2025. The Vice Chancellor also shared details of a product development drive by undergraduate students, which features innovations such as 3D printing, a reusable plastic bench, biodegradable bagasse plates, a hand gesture-driven vehicle, and a grain analyzer.

In his concluding remarks, the Vice Chancellor announced KFUEIT's plan to establish a Special Technology Zone on campus, where industries can set up R&D offices to foster a culture of research and innovation in the region. He outlined the university's future vision, highlighting its focus on water, agriculture, and AI/IT as primary research fields.