Pakistani student pursuing dreams in China to serve Pakistan in future

Beijing: Muhammad Usman, a Pakistan student pursuing his research in Lanzhou University in China hoped to work for improvement of waste management and production of renewable energy after completion of his studies.

“I hope that when we go back to Pakistan, we would improve the situation of waste management and the production of renewable energy,” he told China Economic Net (CEN) on Wednesday.

Having been in China for almost three years, Muhammad Usman is doing PhD on microbiology in Lanzhou University, one of China’s top universities.

Recently his thesis titled Determination of the inhibitory concentration level of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) towards bacterial and archaeal communities in anaerobic digestion got published on Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, the reputed journal with the highest impact factor in the field of energy as per Elsevier.

“Frankly speaking, initially when I came to China in 2017, it was challenging to adjust myself to life here due to the language barrier, the different culture and food habits,” he told China Economic Net adding, “but with the passage of time, I come to interact with some Chinese fellows and learn Chinese culture and language.”

“I got my CSC Scholarship offered by China Scholarship Council in 2017. And studying here has been a good experience. The facilities provided by Lanzhou University and my advisors – Prof. Li Xiangkai and Prof. El-Sayed Salama – are the major reasons that I was able to pursue my research dreams here.”

“Lanzhou University provides a suitable, friendly and scientific environment for international students,” Muhammad Usman noted, adding that the friendly nature of Chinese people toward Pakistanis living in China is really good. “I have been to other cities, too. They treated us with a lot of respect.”

As Muhammad Usman put it, China has already established a good setup for utilizing most of its food waste for renewable energy and has the highest energy potential from food waste globally. However, the situation in Pakistan is not the same.

He further said Pakistan has started to explore food waste potential since the beginning of this century by setting up domestic bio-gas plants across the country – mostly in rural areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – and many research institutes, like Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), and some atomic energy institutes have given attention to the renewable energy production.

Muhammad Usman mentioned that China and Pakistan are working together in many fields, including the sharing of scientific and industrial experience and facilities. “The effective utilization of waste in developing countries can solve many issues such as energy crisis and can also improve people’s health status and provide a cleaner environment,” he said.

The scientific research and industrial corporation between Pakistan and China played an important role in the transfer of sustainable technologies, Muhammad Usman said, adding,”This will improve the life standards of both nations and strengthen their bond as well.