Source: CropBiotech Update

Sri Lanka’s University of Colombo recently launched a new Biotechnology Education and Information center in December 2005. The inauguration ceremony took place at the University’s Department of Science, with the participation of members of the industry and the academe. The university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor T. Hettiarachchi, officially inaugurated the center. Guests included Prof. Karim Maredia and Dr. Cholani Weebadde from Michigan State University.

This new center is a unique initiative to provide biotechnology education and share science-based biotechnology information with various stakeholders in Sri Lanka. The center is housed by the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Colombo and is a collaborative activity between the University of Colombo, ISAAA, and Michigan State University in the US.

For more information, visit the center’s website at http://www.slbic.org.

Similarly, the Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center (PABIC) was established at Latif Ebrahim Jamal National Science Center under the patronage of Dr. Anwar Nasim, Chairman National Commission on Biotechnology. PABIC is planning to publish regularly newsletters and web-based information bulletins on current activities related to biotechnology research and development Pakistan.

Additional information about the PBIC can be obtained by emailing Dr. Iqbal Choudhary of the International Center for Chemical Sciences, University of Karachi at hej@cyber.net.pk.