institute of agri. extension and rural development

Institute of Agri. Extension and Rural DevelopmentAGRIVERSITY FAISALABAD


The University of Agriculture,


Faisalabad was originally the Punjab Agricultural College and

Research Institute. It was established in 1906 as the first major institution

of higher agricultural education in the undivided Punjab. The University of

Agriculture, Faisalabad came into existence through up-gradation of the

former Punjab Agricultural College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, in 1961-

62, and was given the mandate to accelerate infusion of science and

technology in the process of modernizing national farming system and


related activities in order to simplify productivity and bring more propriety to

an aspirant nation The university has completed its 50 years of excellence in

2011.

Institute of Agri. Extension and Rural Development was upgraded in 2012 by

merging the Departments of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education

and Agricultural Information Center. The Division of Education & Extension

doesn't exist now. Its bigger part has been shifted to the Faculty of Social


Sciences. Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ali (Ex. Director, Graduate Studies / Ex. Director,

Division of Education and Extension) is now the Director of the Institute of

Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Social Sciences.

The institute deals with disciplines like Agricultural Extension, Agricultural

Education, Agricultural Information (Mass Communication), Rural Sociology,

Population Science, Gender Studies, and Rural Development.


It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs like B.Sc. (Hons)

Agriculture (Agri. Extension Major); M.Sc., M.Sc.(Hons), and PhD. A quarterly

agricultural journal is published for farmers. The Institute has recently (on

August 14, 2012) started FM Radio 100.4 for dissemination of agricultural

innovations among adjoining farmer community in addition to providing

information, education, and entertainment to general public.


The institute has highly qualified faculty members. It comprises of eleven

members out of which, three are at the highest academic rank of professor,

two associate professors, four assistant professors and one lecturer. They

are serving their part effectively for the betterment of institute. These highly

qualified professionals are producing new masters and PhD degree holders

every year, who are serving in different fields of agriculture. The brief

introduction of the faculty members is given below:


Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ali: Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ali, joined the University

of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) as lecturer in 1980. He was

promoted to the highest academic status of Professor in the

Department of Agri. Extension on 30.9.2006. He is presently

working as Director, Institute of Agri. Extension & Rural

Development. He has served UAF on various academic/administrative

positions. His services as Director, Advanced Studies from 2003 to 2007 and


Director, Division of Education and Extension from 2009 to 2012 were highly

appreciated by the academic community. In addition to working as

Chairman, Department of Agricultural Extension (1999-2003, 2009) he

remained member of various advisory committees/statutory bodies of the

University. He has completed his Ph.D. degree from the University of

Minnesota, USA with specialization in Extension Evaluation. He has so far

produced 16 Ph.D. scholars and more than 40 M.Sc. (Hons.) degree holders.


He is member of the supervisory committees of a number of students

pursuing their doctoral degrees in rural sociology, horticulture and forestry.

Currently, he is supervising 4 Ph.D. scholars. His current research interests

include: food security, sustainable livelihoods, and participatory

development. In addition to 94 research papers and a number of research

reports/ popular articles, he is the author of 4 books/booklets and 3 chapters

in edited books published outside Pakistan. Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ali has credit to


serve as convener of National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) for

Agri. Extension twice; member editorial / management boards of three

international journals; and patron of Zarii Digest - a quarterly extension

publication of UAF. He has established FM Radio Station at UAF under

technology transfer initiatives. He has taken initiatives to add new academic

disciplines/degrees in the institute. He is recipient of star award and Quaid-e-


Azam Gold Medal. Recently, he has been assigned additional charge of

Director, Directorate of Distance Education.

Prof. Dr. Sher Muhammad: He is serving as professor in

Institute of Agricultural extension. He has written different

books on agricultural extension which includes “Agricultural

extension: Strategies & Skills” and “Agricultural extension:

Communication skills and leadership development”. His


research interests include effective communication, different ways and

means of communication including personal and impersonal, adoption and

diffusion of agricultural innovations, and various extension approaches for

effective technology transfer.

Prof. Dr. Munir Ahmad: He is serving as professor in Institute

of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. He is also

the Director of Institute of Business Management Studies. His


research interest includes comparative extension systems, training needs

assessment and evaluation of extension approaches.

Dr. Khalid Mehmood Ch: He is serving as Associate Professor

in Institute of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development.

He has expertise in rural development. His research interest


includes communication, extension systems, diffusion of Agricultural

innovations, training need assessment, sustainable development and

poverty reduction to social mobilization.

Dr. Babar Shahbaz: He is recently promoted as the Associate

professor. He is also working as incharge of Cyber extension


project, which has been successfully launched in two villages of Punjab in

collaboration with Punjab Government. His current research interests are

focused on livelihoods realities, food security and social exclusion in the

marginal rural areas of Pakistan. Decentralization, natural resource

management (including forestry extension) and cyber extension are also the

focus of his ongoing research.


Dr. Muhammad Iftikhar is working as Assistant Professor in

Institute of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. He

got his bachelors and masters degree in fiber textile

engineering. Later, he continued his PhD in Agri extension.

The spectrum of his interest includes training needs

assessment, Human Resource Development (HRD), Administration and

Management. He has great urge to inculcate the basic knowledge of Fiber


Technology with the blend of extension for the welfare of various spheres of

society particularly the farmers.

Dr. Shoukat Ali is also working as Assistant Professor in

Institute of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. He

has worked on comparative analysis of public and private

extension systems in the Punjab, Pakistan. His current

interests are focused on comparative agri. extension


systems, food security and adaptability issue of climate change in

agriculture. He is of the view that effective Agricultural Extension System is

one of the driving forces which are responsible for the growth of agricultural

productivity. Vibrant agricultural growth is inevitable to ensure the food

security of ever increasing population of the country.

Dr. Ghazanfar Ali khan (Assistant Professor, Institute of

Agricultural Extension and Rural Development) is one of the


competent teachers of the institute. He has specialization in the field of

communication either through print or electronic media. He is working on the

dissemination of useful ideas to the farming community with the most

effective way. Through, cellular and internet technologies world has

transformed into a global village. So, Agricultural extension should also use

the various communication methods to pace with the modern world. His


research interests are focused on exploring various avenues for effective use

of media for the effective transfer of agri. Technologies.

Dr. Ijaz Ashraf is serving as Assistant Professor. His research

interests are Communication process, extension system,

technology transfer, adoption and diffusion of agricultural

innovation.


Miss Aqeela Sagheer is appointed as lecture in Institute of

Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. She has

specialization on gender related issues, i.e. gender

discrimination in different spheres of life, gender inequality,


gender role in agriculture and livestock. As a future strategy she wants to do

advance research in the area of gender issues.