Department of Botany, in collaboration with UGC-HRDC, University of Jammu organized a Refresher Course in Life Sciences for teaching faculty of Life Sciences on virtual mode. Prof. Manoj Kumar Dhar, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Chief Guest in the valedictory function of this two-week-long academic event said that such events are important for personal development. In his address, Prof. Dhar focused upon the significant role that biologists can play in the current scenario. He emphasized upon the research is oriented towards food security, climate crisis, water management, and sustainable development. CRISPR gene editing, precise farming, potential modeling are some such technologies that can help in meeting the hunger needs of the world and hence eradicating poverty. He stressed upon the participants that they should also go for such studies so that the sustainability goals can be achieved by 2030. Earlier, Prof. S. K. Pandita, Director UGC-HRDC, formally welcomed all the participants and dignitaries on the virtual platform. Prof. Veenu Kaul, Head, Department of Botany and coordinator of this course in her report said that a total of 32 different lectures on diverse aspects of life sciences were delivered by eminent experts from the country and abroad. Some of the main topics like sixth mass extinction and its impact on biodiversity by Prof. K.R. Shivanna, Science of COVID-19 by Dr. Sumit Gandhi, Endophytes by Prof. Sanjana Kaul, Biodiversity Informatics by Dr. Gitanjali Yadav, ethnobotany by Dr. Radhakrishnan, research ethics by Prof. Kalpana Pai, Stroke & "The Brain Attack” by Prof, Anjana Munshi, geo-spatial data by Dr, H. C. Dutt, paleontology by Dr. Varun Parmar, biological invasions by Prof. Zafer Reshi, electron transport chain by Prof. Yash Pal Sharma, sex chromosomes by Prof. Namrata Sharma, behaviour of bees and honeybees by Prof. Somanathan, cancer biology by Dr. Shashank Singh, butterflies by Dr. Neeraj Sharma, biodiversity monitoring by Dr. Pushpinder Jamwal was covered during the course. Further, Prof (Dr) Ambarish Vidyarthi, Vice-Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University also delivered a lecture on National Education Policy-2020. Dean Academic Affairs in his address said that such academic events are very important in the sense that advanced updates are always required by the faculty so that proper and complete updated knowledge can be imparted at the student level. Even such events help the faculty to indulge themselves in the research at the college level also. The event was also attended by all the faculty members as well as research scholars of the Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of Jammu. A vote of thanks was delivered by   Ranjit Kalra, Teaching Faculty, UGC-HRDC, University of Jammu.