Punjab Minister for Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat inaugurated the two-day Interdisciplinary Research Conference on One Health (IRCOH 2026) at the University of Education (UoE) Lahore, bringing together 32 vice chancellors, international experts, researchers and academics to promote collaborative solutions for human, animal and environmental health.
The conference, presided over by UoE Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry, has attracted around 200 to 250 participants, including researchers and experts from Pakistan and abroad. Prof Dr Shagufta Andaleeb, Director of the Division of Science and Technology, is serving as the conference chair.
The participation of vice chancellors from 32 universities has made IRCOH 2026 a major national gathering of higher education leadership, highlighting the growing importance of interdisciplinary research and institutional collaboration in addressing complex health challenges.
The inauguration was followed by a meeting of the Pakistan One Health Universities Network (PAKOHUN), where university leaders discussed strategies for communication, capacity building, knowledge sharing and joint ventures among universities across all provinces. The meeting was led by Dr Ihtisham ur Rehman of the University of Lancashire.
IRCOH 2026 features 42 research papers, three foreign presenters and three international keynote speakers, with experts participating from seven countries, including France, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and China.
Researchers and academics from diverse disciplines are participating in the conference, covering biotechnology, marine sciences, engineering, cardiology, cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, dental biomaterials, veterinary sciences, genomics, microbiology, cancer research, radiopharmacy, medical physics, infectious diseases, public health and biomedical materials.
The conference also brings together UoE directors, principals, faculty members, officers and students alongside national and international researchers, creating a platform for cross-disciplinary exchange and collaboration.
During his visit, Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat also inaugurated the University of Education Business Incubation Centre (UE-BIC), aimed at strengthening the university’s ecosystem for entrepreneurship, innovation, research commercialization and the development of sustainable business ventures.
Addressing the gathering, the minister said public-sector universities were performing well and making significant contributions to Punjab’s higher education sector. He appreciated the University of Education’s leadership for its institutional transformation and described its performance as a benchmark for public-sector universities in the province.
Speaking at the conference, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry highlighted the university’s expanding research and innovation ecosystem. He said UoE had launched its own Research Grant Programme and introduced three policies aimed at strengthening academia-industry linkages.
He also highlighted the university’s intellectual property achievements, including seven patent filings and six trademarks, as evidence of its growing emphasis on research, innovation and commercialization.
Prof Dr Aqif Anwar Chaudhry said the university’s transformation was rooted in its educational heritage dating back to the 1880s while positioning UoE as a major STEAM laboratory for multidisciplinary education, research, innovation and experimentation.
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IRCOH 2026 reflects the University of Education’s broader strategy of linking research, innovation, entrepreneurship and academia-industry collaboration with real-world challenges. The conference aims to turn interdisciplinary knowledge into collaborative research, innovative ventures and practical solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future.
