Tales from the field: A north-south bond

Dr. Ghulam Haider, an Associate Professor at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad Pakistan, was awarded the knowledge2action South Asia mobility grant 2022-23, funded by the Cluster of Cooperation (CLOC). Dr. Haider is an ecologist and an expert in monitoring ecological effects of agricultural practices and devising strategies to reduce them.  The mobility exchange was aimed at engaging in activities that enhance collaboration between Switzerland and South Asia in fields related to ecological sustainability and social well-being. Dr. Haider was hosted by Dr. Stephanie Moser, a member of the Executive Committee, and Head of Just Economies and Human Well-Being Impact Area at the Center for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Dr. Haider joined CDE in the first week of June and presented his work on emerging challenges & opportunities in Pakistan’s agricultural sector in a Brown-Bag Seminar on June 07, 2023. Students and scientists of different research groups at CDE attended the seminar and participated enthusiastically in discussions. The Brown-bag talk helped Dr. Haider get introduced to relevant research groups at CDE and at the University of Bern. Dr. Stephanie Moser also arranged meetings with potential collaborators within and outside CDE. For instance, a bilateral discussion was organized with Dr. Isabelle Providoli and her team for the Sustainable Land System Impact Area at CDE. Dr. Haider presented his work on residue management, carbon sequestration, and sustainable land management for carbon-neutral societies. A detailed discussion of different teaching initiatives and curriculum development/improvement opportunities paved the path for long-term collaborations between NUST and the University of Bern.

Dr. Haider also presented his work in a special seminar organized at the Department of Development- Crop Breeding and Genomics by Prof. Dr. Zerihun Tadele at the University of BERN. Following the seminar, different opportunities for the improvement of orphan crops, seed pelleting techniques to enhance soil carbon, and germinability of seeds were debated.

The exchange also provided Dr. Haider with an opportunity to interact with Dr. Rima Mekdaschi Studer and her team. Dr. Mekdaschi leads the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT), a global network on Sustainable Land Management (SLM). WOCAT promotes the documentation, sharing, and use of knowledge to support adaptation, innovation, and decision-making in SLM. Integration Dr. Haider’s home institution, NUST, as an institutional member of WOCAT was proposed so that the students and all stakeholders can benefit from and participate in the global database.

Different joint project opportunities are under consideration with Dr. Stephanie Moser, Dr. Albrecht Ehrensperger, and Dr. Henri Rueff, the latter two being heads of the sustainable land system impact area. A detailed discussion with Prof. Dr. Aurea C. Chiaia-Hernández R. at the Institute of Geography, University of BERN paved the path for considering organic contaminants in sustainability research. Organic contaminants are a huge problem in developing countries due to the lack of awareness, the capacity of farm workers/farmers, and weaker regulations.

Overall, Dr. Haider’s mobility stay at CDE Bern opened new avenues for joint teaching/training initiatives, research, and collaborations. For this, Dr. Haider is extremely thankful to Dr. Stephanie Moser, CDE University BERN, and CLOC-K2A for arranging and funding this great initiative of scientific mobility between South-North. Dr. Haider is hopeful for long-term research collaborations with scientific groups at the University of Bern.