Pakistan is strengthening its push into Islamic finance education as academia and industry deepen collaboration through renewed institutional partnerships.

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Meezan Bank Limited have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding to promote higher education and professional training in Islamic banking and finance. As part of the agreement, the bank has contributed Rs5m to support the initiative.

The MoU was formalised by Zulfiqar Ali and Moazam Saeed, with officials from both institutions present.

A key feature of the collaboration is the joint operation of the Center of Islamic Finance at UAF's Institute of Business Management Sciences. The centre will offer academic programmes, professional courses, workshops and research opportunities, while serving as a platform for industry-academia engagement.

University officials said the initiative is intended to equip students with skills aligned to a growing global sector. The banking partner emphasised its commitment to promoting Islamic finance as a preferred financial system, grounded in Shariah principles.

The partnership reflects broader efforts to develop specialised human capital and strengthen links between education providers and the financial industry in Pakistan.