The Academia-Industry dialogue at SKUAST Kashmir, under the Gongul Fest, brought together stakeholders to boost innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic resilience across Jammu and Kashmir.
February 15, Srinagar: The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir hosted a dynamic Academia–Industry Trade Dialogue under the banner of Gongul Fest 2025–26, bringing together stakeholders from health, dairy, horticulture, aquaculture, tourism, IT, startups, and allied sectors to deliberate on strengthening Jammu and Kashmir’s economic resilience.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nazir A. Ganai delivered the keynote address, highlighting the university’s transition from conventional academic approaches to innovation-driven and entrepreneurship-oriented models. He emphasized that SKUAST-K is not merely an educational institution but a socially responsible university committed to community upliftment, livelihood enhancement, and regional development.
The programme was formally opened by Prof. Farhat Shaheen, who presented a comprehensive overview of the objectives and significance of the dialogue, stressing the need for a collaborative ecosystem where academia and industry jointly identify structural gaps and generate actionable insights for a diversified and sustainable economy.
This was followed by a felicitation ceremony conducted by Prof. S. H. Baba, during which distinguished stakeholders and industry partners were honoured in recognition of their valuable contributions and active engagement in the dialogue.