The Higher Education Commission has promised all-out support for China in setting up a joint research centre in Pakistan on earth sciences while suggesting forming a task force on either side for the purpose.This was discussed at a consultative meeting between officials from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Peshawar University and various other universities joined the meeting. The meeting was also attended by China Science and Technology Division Vice Director Dr Yonng Gong GE, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Professor Su Lijun, and other stakeholders.During the briefing, participants discussed the objectives, cooperation mechanism, and preliminary roadmap of setting up the centre, which is being built in collaboration with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed assured the Chinese delegation that the government of Pakistan and HEC will extend their all-out cooperation to their Chinese partners in setting up the centre.He stressed the need for developing a task force for mutual coordination and to finalise viability of the centre. He added that a similar task force needs to be set up on the Chinese side as well.Dr Ahmed added that the various centres of excellence set up in Pakistan can also be included in this endeavour to draw from their experience while reiterating that the centre will be an autonomous entity.With the centre to be set up at a local university, the HEC chairman told the Chinese counterparts that the research centre will be established in Islamabad.HEC Executive Director Dr Arshad Ali emphasised the need for identifying the domains of work between the two sides.He added that details of development cost, infrastructural arrangements, laboratory equipment and infrastructure, and other components of the centre will be shared through the formal document which will be finalised in subsequent meetings.The China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre in Earth Sciences will research risk analysis and reduction of natural hazards ensuring the safety of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) construction.It will also ensure orderly utilisation of ecological and environmental resources and will promote regional sustainable development to benefit the people along the CPEC. For this, the centre will research issues pertaining to earth sciences in the areas adjoining the Himalaya, the Hindu Kush, and the Karakorum.It will provide support for CPEC by developing mitigation principles and technologies on natural hazards, in addition to improving sustainable development of the economy, society and environment.Deliberating on the role of the centre, officials said that it would deal with key scientific issues such as gathering environmental data, mining under complex topography, climate change, water environment, rational utilisation of water resources, tectonic movement and its effects on resources and hazards.Published in The Express Tribune, October 28, 2017.