Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s First Institute of Oceanography covering marine science, engineering technology and training. The agreement was signed in the coastal city of Qingdao, according to a statement from the Chinese institute, known as FIO. FIO said the deal would provide a framework for future research projects and joint training programmes. According to a Gwadar Pro's report on Friday, LUAWMS Vice-Chancellor Abdul Malik Tareen led the Pakistani delegation.

Tareen described the agreement as an important step in the university’s cooperation with China and said he hoped it would lead to practical research and training outcomes. LUAWMS is based in Uthal in Balochistan’s Lasbela district, which extends to the Arabian Sea coast. The public-sector university specialises in agriculture, water resources and marine sciences. Balochistan has about 760 km of coastline and is central to Pakistan’s fisheries, coastal development and port activity, increasing demand for marine research, data and trained specialists.

Pakistan also has sovereign rights over resources in parts of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. In 2015, a United Nations commission adopted recommendations on the country’s submission, with some outer limits reaching the 350-nautical-mile constraint line. Those rights apply to resources in the seabed and subsoil, rather than the overlying waters. FIO is a non-profit marine research institute under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources. Its work includes marine geology, ocean and climate modelling, ecological protection and disaster prevention.

The institute said the agreement formed part of its cooperation with research organisations in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. LUAWMS has also expanded ties with other Chinese marine and environmental research institutions. It renewed an agreement with the Ocean University of China in 2025 and has held cooperation talks with Shandong University’s Weihai campus and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory in Guangzhou.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China