𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐀𝐔 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐅𝐒𝐈 (𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐂 𝐔𝐒𝐀) 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 The Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (FIDS) at South Asian University (SAU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agriculture and Food Systems Institute (AFSI) (@AgFoodSystems), Washington, DC, USA, on September 8, 2026. The strategic agreement was signed by @Profkkaggarwal, President of SAU, and Dr. Andrew Roberts, CEO of AFSI, establishing a collaborative platform for bioscience research, capacity building, and agricultural biotechnology governance across South Asia. Prof. Aggarwal stated that the partnership will equip regional researchers with the technical and regulatory expertise needed to evaluate modern bio-innovations and advance sustainable agri-food systems. Dr. Vibha Ahuja, former Chief General Manager at BCIL, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, added that the alliance will unlock practical student internships and applied food safety risk assessment training. Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Dean of FIDS, outlined the collaboration's key pillars, which centre on joint research, technical workshops, and academic publications dedicated to environmental risk assessments and safety evaluations for genetically engineered and gene-edited crops. The partnership also provides SAU students and faculties with hands-on research opportunities at AFSI in Washington, DC, granting direct exposure to international regulatory frameworks and safety databases. Furthermore, both institutions will co-develop specialized short courses, seasonal schools, and professional workshops focused on food safety standards and biosafety data. These initiatives are reinforced by bilateral faculty exchanges and symposia designed to advance expert dialogue and regional alignment in evidence-based biotechnology oversight. To mark the occasion, FIDS organized an interactive panel session for BSMS (Integrated Sciences) students with Dr. Roberts and Dr. Ahuja, moderated by Prof. Dinesh Kumar. The discussion explored novel food safety dossiers, modern biosafety regulation, and emerging career opportunities in biotech regulatory affairs and international trade policy. The ceremony concluded with participation from SAU leadership, including Vice President Prof. Kapil Sharma, Registrar Dr. Ravindra Soni, OSD to SAU President Prof. Sumat P. Aggarwal and FIDS faculty members Dr. Priti Saxena, Dr. Trapti Aggarwal, Dr. Ankita Gaur, Dr. Amey S. Deshpande, Dr. Swati Mishra, and Dr. Ankita Das. #SouthAsianUniversity #Biosafety #AgriBiotechnology #FoodSafety #BiotechnologyResearch #AgriculturalInnovation #ScienceAndTechnology #SouthAsia