TCI Fellows Visit the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology at LUMS

On January 29, 2026, twenty-five fellows from the 2026 cohort of the Two Cultures Initiative (TCI) Fellowship Program visited the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology (WIT) at LUMS. The visit aimed to familiarize the fellows with WIT’s interdisciplinary research, technological innovations, and ongoing work in water, agriculture, and energy systems.

During the visit, the fellows toured WIT’s production laboratory and interacted with the Centre’s faculty, students, and staff. In the production lab, WIT staff delivered a comprehensive presentation on the Centre’s in-house development and production of various sensor devices. The session was led by Ali Akbar Abbas and Farhan Ammar, who provided a detailed walkthrough of the sensor production process, calibration procedures, and maintenance protocols. They also shared insights into the deployment of these sensors across different regions of Pakistan, highlighting their applications in real-world research and monitoring contexts.

The fellows also visited the Agricultural Robotics Lab, where they were introduced to different types of drones and their applications in agriculture. The session covered ongoing research in drone technologies, their use in precision agriculture, and their potential to significantly transform Pakistan’s agricultural sector through data-driven and automated solutions.

Following the laboratory tours, the fellows engaged with WIT faculty members. Dr. Abubakr Muhammad, Executive Director of WIT, led the discussion by introducing the Centre’s core research domains, ongoing projects, potential collaboration opportunities, and WIT’s future roadmap. Dr. Awais and his team also interacted with the fellows, presenting their research on energy modeling and the analytical tools and methodologies employed in their work. In addition, WIT’s PhD students shared overviews of their doctoral research, offering insights into interdisciplinary approaches, field-based studies, and the integration of data science with water, energy, and climate research.

The visit concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, during which the fellows raised thoughtful questions that were addressed by WIT faculty, researchers, and students.

Overall, the visit was a highly engaging and informative experience that exposed the TCI fellows to WIT’s cutting-edge research, technological innovations, and collaborative research culture. The interaction provided the fellows with valuable insights into how interdisciplinary science and technology can contribute to addressing Pakistan’s pressing challenges in water, agriculture, and energy sectors.