LAHORE: (Saturday, October 31, 2026): Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan H.E. Akamatsu Shuichi visited Punjab University and expressed keen interest in future collaborative work with PU. He also said that he would look forward to receiving proposals from the university in various fields during. The Ambassador was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Akamatsu, and Ms Takako Sato, Head of the Culture and Public Information Section at the Embassy of Japan. PU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Mahmood Saleem along with Director External Linkages Prof Dr Yaamina Salman, Director Students Affairs Prof. Dr Shahzeb Khan, Director ORIC Prof. Dr Aqil Inam, and faculty members welcomed the distinguished guests. The following faculty members with academic and professional experience in Japan were also present at the meeting held in the PU Vice Chancellor’s Office Committee Room: former DG SBS Prof. Dr Naeem Rashid, Dr Mehwish Aslam, and Prof. Dr Muhammad Arshad Javed of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. The participants showed keen interest in developing future collaborations. Dr Naeem Rashid and Dr Muhammad Arshad Javed conversed with the guests in Japanese, adding a personal dimension to an exchange that reflected the university’s longstanding academic connections with Japan attended the meeting. The delegation also visited PU Library and its manuscript room, where senior librarian Dr Muhammad Hamid introduced the guests to the library’s rare and valuable manuscripts and their scholarly significance. At the Zoology Museum, Dr Bushra Nisar Khan, an ornithologist from the Institute of Zoology known for her enthusiasm for birds, briefed the delegation on the museum’s fossils and diverse zoological collections. The Ambassador showed keen interest in the exhibits. Dr Bushra also presented her book, The Birds of Punjab University, to H.E. Akamatsu Shuichi in the presence of Mrs Akamatsu, sharing her appreciation of the university’s rich birdlife with the distinguished guests. The delegates also visited the Honeybee Research Centre, where the guests were hosted by its Director, Prof. Dr Abdul Majid Khan, who is also Professor of Zoology and Resident Officer-II. The Ambassador and his wife participated in practical beekeeping activities and experienced filling and packing honey bottles. The guests were presented with honey and a framed honeycomb as souvenirs. The visit brought together academic exchange, cultural heritage and engagement with nature, providing a warm expression of the university’s ties with Japan and opportunities for future cooperation.