By Fazal Khaliq
SWAT: Dr. Shabana Irum, a native of Miangano Cham Chail Shagai, Saidu Sharif, Swat, has successfully defended her doctoral thesis in botany, marking a noteworthy accomplishment.
Her study, “Characterization and Micropropagation of Selected Peach Germplasm of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan,” was co-supervised by Dr. Shazia Erum of the National Agriculture Research Centre in Islamabad and overseen by Associate Professor Dr. Azhar Hussain Shah of Hazara University in Mansehra.
With her successful Ph.D. defence, Dr. Shabana Irum’s academic community recognised and honoured her commitment to scholarship and hard work. Her study on the characterization and micropropagation of particular peach germplasm from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan’s Swat region has drawn interest due to its possible contributions to genetic research and agricultural growth in the area.
Numerous articles in high-impact factor journals have acknowledged Dr. Irum’s scholarly endeavours and highlighted the importance of her results in the field of botany. The fact that her thesis defence panel consisted of renowned external examiners Dr. Faridullah from COMSATS Abbottabad and Dr. Hamayun Shaheen from the University of AJK, Muzaffarabad, further highlights the calibre and rigour of her study.
The faculty members of the Botany department expressed their sincere congratulations upon hearing about Dr Shabana Irum’s accomplishment. They praised her commitment to her work and urged her to carry on with her significant contributions to the field’s progress. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Irum was always supported and encouraged by her mentors, family, and most of all, her late father, Elahi Bakhsh, who was the Chief Laboratory Technologist at Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital in Swat.
The successful defence of Dr. Shabana Irum’s doctoral thesis is a major turning point in both her academic and professional careers. The academic community has rightly acknowledged and commended her dedication to scholarly research and contributions to the subject of botany, setting the door for further greatness in her future endeavours.
