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HEC Announces HEC Announces th
5 Ranking of th 5 Ranking of Pakistani Pakistani
UniversitiesUniversitiesBest University Teacher Awards
Dr. Arshad Ali Joins HEC as
Executive Director
P-6
HEC’s Governing Body Vows to Uphold Quality Parameters
P-14
P-9
Scholars Showcase Research Work in Symposium on Social Sciences
P-7
HEC Reviews Varsities Governing Mechanism
P-14
P-2
January/February 2016
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
Table of Contents
Publisher:
Higher EducationCommission, Pakistan
7HEC Announces
Establishment of
Social Sciences
Council
6
9
th HEC Announces 5
Ranking of Pakistani
Universities
Best University
Teacher Awards
2 Prof. Dr. Arshad Ali Joins HEC as Executive
Director
Workshop on Use of Student Web Portal
System
HEC’s Governing Body Vows to Uphold
Quality Parameters
HEC Reviews Varsities Governance
Mechanism
HEC, Queen Mary University of London Sign
Agreement for PhD Scholarships
Chairman HEC, US Ambassador Sign
Agreement
NAEAC Reviews Standard of Agri Education
Institutions
HEC Participates in Dawn Education Expos,
Creates Academic Awareness
Chairman HEC Visits Bacha Khan University
GIK Institute Teams to Participate in Shell
Eco-Marathon
UET Trains Fresh Faculty for Different
Departments
IIUI Weighs Role of Religious Leadership in
War against Terrorism
Lithomatic Wins Commendation Award in
Hong Kong
US, Pakistani Scientists Discuss Impacts of
Viral Diseases on Agri Sector
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14
14
15
16
17
18
19
24
26
30
38
40
Graphic Designer
Raja Ahmad Nadeem
Reporter
Waseem Khaliqdad
Editor
Aayesha Ikram
News & Views is published after every two months. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publisher.
The views expressed by authors in the articles is their sole responsibility and not of HEC. The Commission would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed information and photographs for this Magazine.
Graphic Designer
Raja Ahmad Nadeem
Reporter
Waseem Khaliqdad
Editor
Aayesha Ikram
News & Views is published after every two months. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publisher.
The views expressed by authors in the articles is their sole responsibility and not of HEC. The Commission would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed information and photographs for this Magazine.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan
thannounced the 5 Ranking of Pakistani Higher Education Institutions for 2015 with an aim to boost academic and research culture among Pakistani universities, and encourage them to compete at international level.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC, announced the ranking during a press conference held at the Commission Secretariat. Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Acting Executive Director HEC, Dr. Qasim Jan, former Vice Chancellor QAU, Dr. Mazhar Saeed, DG (P&D) and Mr. Ahmad Yahya Khan, DG (Statistics) were also present on the occasion.
The ranking was carried out under various categories including Engineering and Technology, Business Education, Agriculture and Veterinary, Medical, and Arts & Design. The major criteria for evaluation of universities were Quality Assurance, Teaching Quality, Research, Finance & Facilities, and Social Integration/Community Development.
Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad topped the overall ranking list. The QAU is followed by University of the Punjab Lahore, National University of Sciences and
QAU, UAF, NCA, AKU, NUST, Iqra on Top in Various Categories
th HEC Announces 5 Ranking of
Pakistani Universities
Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Aga Khan University, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), University of Karachi, University of Health Sciences Lahore, and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore.
As many as 73 higher education institutions have made their place in the General category with QAU, Islamabad; PU, Lahore; COMSATS, Islamabad; KU; PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi; Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore; Government College University, Faisalabad; and University of Peshawar on the top.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad briefed the media about objectives and methodology of the ranking. He said that the ranking is based on the data collected during 2013-14, adding that HEC verified and counter-checked the data from all the
universities before compiling the final ranking. He said that 129 universities were reviewed for ranking, while 66 parameters were adopted for scoring.
He said that Distance Learning Institutions and the HEIs established after June 2010 were not included in the ranking. He said HEC will start working on the ranking for 2015 in March.
To a question regarding illegal campuses of universities, the Chairman said that HEC is against the commercialization of higher education and it has been warned time to time about the illegal campuses through media so that the future of students could be secured.
When asked about the HEC initiatives in various disciplines of Social Sciences, he said that HEC also pays special attention to promotion of Social Sciences in the country.
The details of universities which topped various categories are as follows:
2
Overall Top 10 Higher Education InstitutionsRank
University Name
Relative Score
1
Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
100.00
2
University of the Punjab, Lahore
83.28
3
National University of Science and Technology (NUST)
80.27
4
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
78.72
5
Aga Khan University
77.28
6 COMSATS Institute of Information Technology 76.51
7 Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad 74.88
8 University of Karachi 70.09
9 University of Health Sciences, Lahore 68.00
10 University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 66.78
Agriculture Category
Rank University Name Relative Score
1 University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 100.00
2 University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 83.68
3
University of Agriculture, Peshawar
62.85
4
Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam
46.90
5
Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences
42.65
Business Category
Rank University Name Relative Score
1 Iqra University, Karachi 100.00
2
Lahore School of Economics, Lahore
98.70
3
Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi
96.00
4
Institute of Management Science, Peshawar (IMS)
80.32
5
Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur
75.82
6
SZABIST
75.70
7
The Superior College, Lahore
74.30
8
Institute of Business Management, Karachi
72.91
9
University of Central Punjab, Lahore
67.34
10
Greenwich University, Karachi
58.75
11
The GIFT University, Gujranwala
54.66
12
COMMECS Institute of Business and Emerging Sciences, Karachi
41.79
13
Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education, Karachi
37.54
14
Institute of Management Sciences, Lahore
25.39
15
KASB (Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari) Institute of Technology, Karachi
22.16
Arts Category Rank University Name Relative Score
1 National College of Arts, Lahore (NCA) 100.00
2 Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi 82.53
3
Medical Category Rank University Name Relative Score
Aga Khan University 100.00
University of Health Sciences, Lahore 83.54
Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi
64.53
Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
61.62
Isra University, Hyderabad
57.28
King Edward Medical University, Lahore
53.62
Ziauddin Medical University
51.99
Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro
50.56
Gandhara University, Peshawar
43.64
Baqai Medical University
41.58
Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto Medical University, Larkana
37.03
Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences, Karachi
36.45
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Peoples University of Medical and
Health Sciences for Women (Nawabshah)
32.25
Engineering Category
Rank University Name Relative Score
National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and
Technology, Topi
Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad
University of Engineering and
Technology, Lahore
Mehran University of Engineering
and
Technology, Jamshoro
University of Engineering
and
Technology, Peshawar
Air University, Islamabad
University of Engineering and Technology Taxila
National Textile University, Faisalabad
NED University of Engineering and
Technology, Karachi
BUITMS, Quetta
Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and
Technology,
Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar
Hitec University, Taxila
CECOS University of Information Technology and
Emerging Sciences, Peshawar
Balochistan University of Engineering and
Technology, Khuzdar
Indus University, Karachi
Dawood University of Engineering and
Technology, Karachi
Sir Syed University of Engineering
and Technology, Karachi
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Textile Institute of Pakistan, Karachi
100.00
96.67
75.34
72.46
63.97
58.88
57.74
57.22
55.32
51.09
51.06
48.60
45.78
45.08
45.01
43.96
43.91
43.39
42.48
37.07
23.40
4
General Category
Rank University Name Relative Score
1 Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad 100.000
2
University of
the Punjab, Lahore
85.014
3
COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad
79.480
4
University of Karachi
71.424
5
PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
63.539
6
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore
60.694
7
Government College University, Faisalabad
60.348
8
University of Peshawar, Peshawar
59.662
9
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan
59.350
10
Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad
58.878
11
Islamia
University of Bahawalpur
57.836
12
Riphah International University, Islamabad
55.519
13
International Islamic University, Islamabad
55.390
14
Government College University, Lahore
54.293
15
University of Science and
Technology, Bannu
53.802
16
The University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad
52.694
17
Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan
52.362
18
University of Sargodha, Sargodha
52.361
19
University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir, Malakand
52.284
20
Forman Christian College, Lahore (University status)
50.853
21
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST), Islamabad
50.534
22
University of Azad Jammu and
Kashmir, Muzaffarabad
50.117
23
Bahria University, Islamabad
50.054
24
University of Gujrat, Gujrat
49.620
25
Kohat
University of Science and Technology, Kohat
49.607
26
Gomal University, D.
I. Khan
49.570
27
Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
49.506
28
Hazara University, Dodhial, Mansehra
48.195
29
University of Lahore, Lahore
47.970
30
DHA Suffa
University
47.887
31
National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad
47.517
32
University of Sindh, Jamshoro
47.448
33
National Defence University, Islamabad
47.344
34
Islamia College University, Peshawar
46.645
35
University of Management and
Technology, Lahore
46.083
36
University of Balochistan, Quetta
45.804
37
Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Karachi
45.688
38
Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi
45.494
39
City University of Science and Information Tech nology, Peshawar
44.955
40
Qurtaba University of Science and Information Technology, D.
I. Khan
43.595
41
Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur
43.582
42
Karachi Institute of Economics and
Technology, Karachi
43.006
43
Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Karachi
42.177
44
Minhaj University, Lahore
41.443
45
Foundation University, Islamabad
41.173
46
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar
41.126
47
Abasyn University, Peshawar
39.563
48
Beaconhouse
National University, Lahore
39.388
5
6
Dr. Arshad Ali Joins HEC as Executive DirectorProf. Dr. Arshad Ali, former Rector, National Textile University and founding Principal of the NUST School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) has joined HEC as Executive Director. HEC’s governing body, Commission, had approved the selection of Dr. Arshad Ali as
stExecutive Director during its 31 meeting held on January 11, 2016. Decorated by the Government of Pakistan with Pride of Performance owing to his creative and strategic thinking and proven academic leadership skills, the association of Dr. Arshad with academics and research spreads over 33 years. He has also been awarded with Sitara-e-Imtiaz that will be
rdconferred upon him on 23 March, 2016. Having doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Arshad Ali has over 100 publications to his credit in
Rank University Name Relative Score 49 Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal, Dir 39.190
50 University of Education, Lahore 39.136
51 Hajvery University, Lahore 38.596
52 Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK), Karachi 38.487
53 Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore 37.756
54 Karakoram International University Gilgit Baltistan 37.745
55 Jinnah University for Women Karachi 36.774
56 Preston University, Kohat 36.488
57 National College of Business Administration and Economics, Lahore 35.747
58 Ali Institute of Education, Lahore 35.052
59 University of Wah, Wah Cantt 34.872
60 Mohi-ud-Din Islamic University, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 33.558
61
Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta
33.503
62
Newports Institute of Communication and
Economics, Karachi
32.749
63
Imperial College of Business Studies, Lahore
31.723
64
Mirpur University of Science and
Technology, AJK
30.427
65
Hamdard University
29.316
66
Northern University, Nowshera
29.051
67
Al-Khair University, Azad Jammu and
Kashmir
28.817
68
Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, Lyari
25.305
69
University of South Asia, Lahore
24.667
70
Preston University Karachi
22.201
71
Al-Hamd Islamic University, Quetta
21.469
72
Preston Institute of Management Sciences and Technology,
Karachi
19.447
73
The Nazeer Hussain University, Karachi
2.436
national and international conferences and journals. He has also been awarded Gold Medal by Pakistan Academy of Sciences and COMSTECH for IT research, Presidents’ Gold Medal for being the Best NUST Researcher of the Year 2005 and “Distinguished Scientist of the Year 2006” award by Pakistan Academy of Sciences. Dr. Arshad has initiated research collaboration with CERN Switzerland and earned the Associate Institute status of CMS-CERN for NUST. He has actively been working on various research projects with Stanford USA, Caltech USA, UWE UK, and University of South Brittany France. Dr. Arshad has also served as Member of the International Advisory Board of the "International ICFA Workshop on HEP Networking, Grids, and Digital Divide Issues for Global e-Science".
Sciences. He promised that the existing budget for Social Sciences will further be enhanced in the next year.
He lamented that as compared to economic and technological development, social progress is taken for granted. He emphasized the need for setting up schools for research in Social Sciences so as to promote post-graduate researches in the field.
Referring to the mushroom growth of illegal universities as well as campuses in the country, he said that HEC is against the use of higher education for commercial purposes. He urged the universities to pay special attention to improvement of governance and quality of education.
In his keynote address, Dr. Kaisar Bengali, Adviser to the Government of Balochistan, stressed the need for conducting research on prevailing social problems of the country. Emphasizing relevance of research to the social needs while pointing out problems like poverty, injustice and unemployment, he said that the structural imbalance of economy creates panic and needs to be addressed. He maintained that Pakistan does not lack resources, however the equitable distribution of
Scholars Showcase Research Work at National Symposium
HEC Announces Establishment of Social Sciences Council
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad announced establishment of the Social Sciences Council of Pakistan, a conceptually independent body comprising professionals for further development of research culture in all disciplines of Social Sciences. He said that HEC will release separate funding for the Council and will cater to its needs.
The Chairman said the HEC has been according due importance to all the three aspects of Social Sciences i.e., academic, research and social outreach, and several remarkable steps have been taken in this regard. He said that Pakistan has gained the membership of Asian Social Sciences Association (ASSA) and efforts are afoot to hold the Association’s meeting in Pakistan.
He said that HEC places 30 percent of slots in its all scholarships programmes for the students of Social Sciences, adding that it has already doubled the budget for Social
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan
ndorganized the 2 National Symposium on Thematic Research in Social Sciences here at its Secretariat, wherein scholars showcased their research in various fields of Social Sciences. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC and vice chancellors of different universities, faculty members, researchers and students attended the daylong symposium.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman HEC urged the participants to identify weak areas in Social Sciences which could be focused for result-oriented research.
“Social Sciences is a very important area, but at the same time it is a missing link in our education system,” he said, adding that it is our academic responsibility to strengthen our nation socially. He said that strengthening of Social Sciences in the country is necessary to keep the society intact.
7
resources is a need of the hour for national development.
Dr. Bengali urged the students to rise up and vent their anger against the deteriorating situation in the country through productive research on critical issues of the society and areas linked to the social uplift.
“If we have to make the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project a game changer in the real sense, we will have to make supplementary investment as well, as building connectivity is necessary for the purpose,” he said adding that development of infrastructure will help benefit from CPEC. Terming the improvement of public transport system in Islamabad as admirable, he said that the development must be made across the country.
He underscored that democracy has been strengthened in the country and the State has decided to eliminate the jihadist culture. He hoped that Zarb-e-Azb Operation will yield positive result and the curse of militancy will end.
Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open University, said that improvement of economy and maturity of politics are interlinked. He said that improvement of both the economic and political situation of the country is necessary for the national
growth. He urged the scholars to select fresh and reformatory topics for their research so that it could cast a positive impact on the society.
The scholars who conducted their research in various areas of Social Sciences under HEC’s Thematic Research Grant Programme and shared their findings with the Symposium participants included Dr. Tahir Amin, Vice Chancellor
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences, Dr. Najma Najam, Dr. Pervaiz Ahmed Memon, Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, Dr. Fauzia Maqsood, University of Gujrat, Dr. Sami Ullah, University of Gujrat, Dr. Asma Manzoor University of Karachi, and Dr. Ijaz Hussain, Beaconhouse National University.
The HEC invited proposals for Thematic Research Grant Programme (TRGP) for 2015-16, especially designed to address contemporary issues and promote Social Sciences in the country. The topics include Politics, Constitution and Governance; National Security and Foreign Policy; Society and Culture; Economy -Issues and Prospects; Education Policy, Leadership and Management; History, Archaeology and Anthropology Studies; Print, Electronic and Social Media; and Literature and Languages. A maximum funding of Rs. 10 million will be provided for each project approved under TRGP. Fifteen projects have already been completed under Thematic Research Grant Programme, while 25 projects are under process. It is expected that 30-40 new projects will be funded this year. HEC accords special importance to Social Sciences
and the aim of this grant is to not only to promote research work of Social Scientists but also encourage them to work on critical social issues of Pakistani society. Social Sciences Section of HEC’s Academics Division was established in 2003 to fulfil responsibilities of identifying the realities of diverse social and human issues. Since its establishment, it has taken several steps to boost research culture and explore new avenues for Social Scientists. Since 2005, over 150 national research journals have been recognized and funded. As many as 16 workshops were organized and several others are being planned for near future. In order to enhance quality of research journals and introduce modern research trends and methodologies in editing, 21 workshops were conducted for Editors of Social Science research journals since 2005.
Huge Funding for Social Sciences Research
8
expand and strengthen the universities, yet there is dearth of skilled faculty. Referring to overall social and national uplift, the Governor lamented that the credibility crisis has incurred a great loss to the country. He emphasized upon excessive social research, saying that universities conduct social researches and governments execute them after evaluating their effectiveness in order to achieve national goals.
Earlier in his address, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC, welcomed the Governor and admired his keen interest in the education sector. He urged the teacher community to focus on character building of Pakistani youth in addition to acquaint them with latest trends in education and research, as he said the lack of character building steps lead to social ills like terrorism, corruption, etc.
The Chairman congratulated the teachers who won the awards and urged them to pay attention to community service, as he said a good teacher is the one who contributes to social development. He also emphasized upon them to give the youth a hope for a bright future. He said that the Commission has played a remarkable role in the development of higher education sector. He highlighted different HEC initiatives for improvement of quality of education and social integration, with special focus on improved access, relevant research and gender equity.
Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Acting Executive Director HEC, briefed the audience about the criteria adopted
Best University Teacher Awards
Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has underlined the significance of higher education and research for socio-economic development of the country.
“The nations which evolve a futuristic approach towards development and invest in quality higher education are the ones who progress,” said the Governor while speaking at the Best University Teacher Award ceremony organized by the Higher Education Commission at HEC Secretariat.
As many as 40 teachers from universities across Pakistan were presented Best University Teacher Award for the year 2014, in recognition of their outstanding performance. Each winner was awarded a certificate and a cash prize worth Rs. 100,000. Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, was also present.
The Governor termed HEC’s initiative to acknowledge contribution of university teachers a unique and dignified tradition. He said this practice should continue in future as well. He observed that a huge investment was made on higher education sector during the last decade, particularly on establishment and expansion of universities, human resource development, increasing access to higher education, faculty development, etc. adding that there is a need for improvement in quality of education and research.
Sardar Mehtab said that though HEC and the Government are fulfilling their responsibility to
Governor KPK Stresses Significance of Research
9
for selection of teachers for the award. He said the selection was made on the basis of teachers’ qualification, teaching skills, research output, professional development and community service.
The award winners from public sector universities include Dr. Shehzad Khalid, Professor at Bahria University, Islamabad; Dr. Shamsul Qamar, Professor at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad; Asstt. Prof. Dr. Khurram Khurshid, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad; Dr. Samina Malik, Associate Professor at International Islamic University, Islamabad; Dr. Khalil Ahmed, Professor at Karakoram International University, Gilgit; Dr. Shaheen Akhtar, Associate Professor at National Defence University, Islamabad; Dr. Syed Abdul Ghaffar Bukhari, Acting Head of Islamic Studies Department at National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad; Dr. Jamil Ahmad, Assistant Professor at National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad; Dr. Attiya Yasmin Javaid, Professor at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad; Dr. Tariq Yasin, Deputy Chief Scientist Department of Metallurgy & Materials Engineering at Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad; Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Associate Professor at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad; Dr. Uzaira Rafique, Professor at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi; Dr. Hamid Mukhtar, Associate Professor at Government College University, Lahore; Dr. Mamuna Ghani, Dean and Chairman Department of English, Islamia University Bahawalpur; Dr. Muhammad Sarwar Khan, Professor at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad; Dr. Intizar Hussain Butt, Assistant Professor at University of Education, Lahore; Engr. Dr. Riffat Asim Pasha, Professor at University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila; Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Professor at University of the Punjab, Lahore; Dr. Muhammad Younus, Professor at University of Veterinary of Animal Sciences, Lahore; Dr. Raza-ur-Rahman, Professor at DOW University of Health Sciences, Karachi; Dr. Nasir Afghan, Assistant Professor at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi; Dr. Abdul Razaque Shaikh, Professor at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro; Dr. Arabella Bhutto, Assistant Professor at Mehran
University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro; Dr. Khurshid Ahmed Abbasi, Chairman Department of Pediatrics, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana; Dr. Zia-Ul-Hassan-Shah, Assistant Professor at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam; Prof. Dr. Naeem Tariq Narejo, Chairman Department of Fresh Water Biology and Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro; Dr. Muhammad Arif, Assistant Professor at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan; Dr. Abdul Haleem Shah, Chairman Department of Biological Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan; Prof. Dr. Habib Ahmed, Tenure Professor Department of Genetics, Hazara University Mansehra; Dr. Attaullah Shah, Assistant Professor at Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar; Dr. Muhammad Tahir Sarwar, Assistant Professor at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar; Dr. Muhammad Azim Khan, Associate Professor at University of Agriculture, Peshawar; Dr. Amir Nawaz Khan, Dean Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar; Dr. Zahoor Ahmad Bazai, Assistant Professor at University of Balochistan, Quetta; and, Dr. M. Ishtiaq, Assistant Professor at Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur. The teachers from private sector universities who received the award include Dr. Humaira Nadeem, Head of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, Riphah International University, Islamabad; Dr. Ahmed Faisal Imtiaz Siddiqi, Professor at University of Management and Technology, Lahore; Dr. Syed Zahoor-ul Hassan Zaidi, Assistant Professor at Hamdard University, Karachi; Mr. Jameel-un-Nabi, Professor at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi Swabi; and, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Wasim, Assistant Professor at Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar.
10
Mr. Gabriel Tiel Capote, Ambassador of Cuba to Pakistan visited Higher Education Commission and called on Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC at the Commission Secretariat.
During his maiden visit to HEC, Mr. Gabriel Capote reiterated Cuban government’s resolve to strengthen academic bonds with Pakistan. He said that the two countries will continue cooperation to address the challenges of higher education sector. He stressed the need for bilateral collaboration in various fields, adding this will help the two countries benefit from each other’s experiences.
Sharing academic achievements made by Cuba, the Ambassador said that the University of Havana is a national heritage, being a 290-year-old institution.
The Chairman welcomed the Ambassador in Pakistan and HEC and wished him a good
stay. He briefed the Ambassador about ongoing collaborative steps taken by Pakistan and Cuba, and informed him about the status of Pakistani medical students who have graduated from Cuba. He said 354 students have passed the test conducted by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and are serving the country in public as well as private sector.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed emphasized that education
Cuban Ambassador Visits HEC
11
Dr. Muhammad Latif and Mr. Wasim Hashmi Syed have joined Higher Education Commission as Adviser (Research and Development) and Adviser (Human Resource Development), respectively. Both of them have been
should be used as a diplomatic tool and appreciated the support of Cuban government in building academic relationship with Pakistan.
He lauded Cuba for its generous support to Pakistan in the devastating earthquake of 2005, which included provision of 1000 scholarships to Pakistani medical students.
He also reaffirmed that Pakistan will soon offer 100 scholarships for Cuban engineering students.
serving the higher education sector in different capacities. It is hoped that their experience will help in further strengthening of HEC’s activities for promotion of higher education in the country.
Dr. Muhammad Latif Mr. Wasim Hashmi Syed
New Advisers Dr. Muhammad Latif and Mr. Wasim Hashmi Join HEC
The Quality Assurance Division, Higher Education Commission, held two separate meetings for evaluation and recognition of natural sciences and multi-disciplinary journals.
The meetings aimed to evaluate the quality of the already recognized journals and to assess whether improvements have been made in it or not and to evaluate the new journals applied for the first time to be included in the HEC recognized journals’ list.
Both the disciplines have a single expert committee including Vice Chancellors and national distinguished professors from different HEIs. The editors/chief editors gave presentations on the parameters on which the experts evaluated their progress.
About 27 natural and multi-disciplinary journals were presented during the meetings, while five new applicants were also entertained. The new applicants learned from good practices of the already recognized journals.
Experts Evaluate ResearchJournals
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, organized a daylong workshop on the application and usage of Student Web Portal System of the Prime Minister’s Tuition Fee Reimbursement Scheme at its Secretariat.
The workshop was held for the representatives of universities from the less developed areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan with an aim to provide practical guidelines, tools and tips regarding the Student Web Portal System, as now the entire system of Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme has been automated.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Acting Executive Director HEC highlighted the importance of the application of Student Web Portal system for online student registration, validation of student record and funds utilization report.
He said, “The Government is keen to support the youth of less developed areas of Pakistan and in order to maximize transparency, a
Prime Minister Fee Reimbursement Scheme
Workshop on Use of Student Web Portal System
customized web based system has been designed specifically by HEC to facilitate the overall processes of the scheme.
Although universities are adapted to the manual system, yet this workshop has been helpful to improve the capacity of the university representatives so that they can work efficiently on the web portal system.”
It is worth mentioning that this was the fourth workshop of a series carried out at HEC. The first workshop on Web Portal System of Prime Minister’s Tuition Fee Reimbursement Scheme was conducted in Peshawar for the representatives of all public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The second workshop was organized for the representatives of universities from the twin cities (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, while the third workshop was held for the South Punjab region.
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approved the bridging of old BA/ BSc programme with BS (four years) programme. This would be possible upon completion of 15-18 credit-hour bridging course after two-year BA/ BSc. A standard-based four-year B.Ed. (Hons.) and two-year Associate Degree in Education was also ratified.
The meeting also set Policy Guidelines for the implementation of uniform semester in the Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan. It also brought under discussion the HEC main criteria for admissions in MS/ MPhil in PhD Programmes and approved minor modifications therein.
Discussing the draft of the National Qualifications Framework of Pakistan (2015), the members agreed to keep the document live on HEC website for six months to invite stakeholders’ input and comments. It would then be presented for final review.
st ndCommission’s 31 and 32 Meetings
held at HEC
The Higher Education Commission recently held the
st31 meeting of its governing body, wherein policy decisions were made on various issues related to academics and quality assurance.
The Commission approved the selection of Dr. Arshad Ali as Executive Director HEC apart from the appointment of Dr. Fateh Muhammad Mari as Adviser Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Mohammad Latif as Adviser Quality Assurance/ Learning Innovation, and Waseem Hashmi Syed as Adviser Human Resource Division.
The Commission discussed and conceptually approved the establishment of National Accreditation Council on Allied Health Sciences, and National Accreditation Council on Life Sciences.
It advised that a detailed proposal be presented to the Commission in its subsequent meeting. The Commission also
Earlier, the Chairman briefed the Commission about the HEC achievements during 2015. The members appreciated the government support in patronizing the higher education sector.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC; Mr. Hassan Iqbal, Secretary Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Trainings; Mr. Fazal Abbas Maken, Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology; Dr. Syed Atta-ur-Rehman, Secretary (Additional charge) Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Department, Government of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar; Dr. Shoaib Anwar, Additional Secretary Academic (HED) (Representative Government of the Punjab); Mr. Abdul Saboor Kakar; Secretary Secondary Education Department Government of Balochistan, Quetta; Engr. Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, Vice-Chancellor University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar; Engr. Ahmed Farooq
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Various Higher Education Policies Discussed
Bazai, VC Baluchistan University of IT, Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta; Prof. Dr. Masood Hameed Khan, VC Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi; Prof. Dr. Nilofar Shaikh, former VC SALU, Khairpur; and Prof. Dr. Ghulam Raza Bhatti, Acting ED HEC; attended the meeting.
ndSimilarly, the 32 meeting of Commission was also held a few weeks later, wherein the Members stressed the need for upholding all quality parameters set by the Commission regarding different university affairs.
The Commission approved HEC Selection Board for appointment and promotion of HEC officers. A total of three Directors were promoted as Director General while three DGs were appointed through direct selection while approval was accorded for promotion of
five persons as Directors along with appointment of two Directors for IT Division. Two Project Directors were also appointed, one for Phase-II of Indigenous PhD Fellowships and the other for PhD Scheme under Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan as well as a Project Manager for Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.
The Commission gave approval for complete refund of fee to students under Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme. Previously, only tuition fee was being refunded.
It discussed programmes related to Research and Development (R&D) and proposed formation of technical committees to review its various policies, including initiatives regarding Pakistan Programme for Collaborative Research, Access to Scientific Instrumentation,
Award of Travel Grants to Universities Faculty and Researchers, Grants for Organizing Seminars, Entrepreneurship, patent filing, Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORICs), National Research Programme for Universities (NRPU), and Business Incubation Centres.
The Commission also gave conceptual approval of Pakistan Change Maker Award, which is an annual idea/challenge created by HEC and its national and international partners aims to solicit and fund innovative ideas that will positively impact socio-economic development of the country.
The Commission called for a transparent process for the selection of Vice Chancellors all over the country through VCs Search Committee.
The Higher Education Commission has constituted several panels of experts to review the higher education institutions across the country with an aim to ensure adherence of universities’ policies and practices to the defined Quality Assurance criteria and guidelines for good governance.
Complying with the special directive of the Prime Minister, HEC has so far reviewed quality assurance and governance mechanism of 160 universities, both in public and private sector. It is hoped that current phase of this whole review will be completed by the end of March 2016. The
Prime Minister’s Special Directive
HEC Reviews Varsities Governance Mechanism initiative will not only improve quality of teaching and research in the universities, but will also sensitize the higher learning institutions to contribute to the socio-economic priorities of the country. Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC, has issued special instructions to expedite the process, being carried out under the auspices of HEC’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
The session, held at the Commission Secretariat, was chaired by the Chairman HEC and attended by a number of academic experts and quality practitioners from across the country.
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Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in partnership with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, has announced to offer 180 scholarships in the next five years to Pakistani students wishing to enrol in PhD research programmes.
Under an agreement signed by the two sides at QMUL’s Mile End Campus recently, 36 scholarships will be offered to students per year. The first batch of students is likely to join QMUL in September 2016. Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC and Prof. Simon Gaskell, President and Principal, QMUL signed the agreement.
HEC will provide a maintenance allowance of £9,000 per year, while QMUL will cover the cost of the students’ tuition fee for a maximum period of 48 months.
Students will be expected to cover any extra costs stipulated
HEC, Queen Mary University of London Sign Agreement for PhD Scholarships
by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to meet living costs for duration of their studies. HEC and QMUL will mutually select the candidates for the final award of scholarship.
The scholarships will be offered for the QMUL schools including School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, School of Engineering and Materials Science, School of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physics and Astronomy, School of Business and Management, School of Economics and Finance, School of Geography, School of
Languages Linguistics and Film and School of Law.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC expressed the hope that agreement will further enhance relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom through education and research bonds.
Prof. Simon Gaskell, President and Principal QMUL said, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the HEC in Pakistan. These students will undoubtedly enrich research here at QMUL and we trust that in the long term they will help us build on our many and varied links with the region.
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Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) inaugurates Science Block at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Nawabshah. Mr. Arshad Saleem, Vice Chancellor of the University and Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Member (HRD) HEC, are also present. Qazi Khizar Hayat, University’s Project Director briefed the Chairman about new block and other infrastructure projects of the University.
News in Picture
David Hale, Ambassador of the United States in Pakistan, and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Commission Secretariat, for the seventh phase of Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperation Programme.
Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training was the chief guest on the occasion. Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Presidents of difference universities were also present.
The MoU will provide more than $8 million in joint funding for high-level collaborative research in science and technology, with a new focus on health and other fields such as water, energy, and information technology.
In his address, Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman appreciated the US Government for its educational cooperation with Pakistan and
thsaid that the 7 phase of the programme will bring about
Chairman HEC, US Ambassador Sign Agreement
th 7 Phase of Pak-US S&T Programme
valuable innovative researches in critical areas. He said that the joint collaboration will promote research activities in Pakistani universities and will benefit the society as a whole.
Highlighting the government initiatives for promotion of higher education in the country, the Minister said that Pakistani students are benefitting from the schemes launched by the Prime Minister, including Fee Reimbursement Scheme and Laptop Scheme.
Lauding HEC’s performance, he said HEC has prepared a master plan for research universities, adding that thousands of students are making their career with the support of HEC through its different programmes.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that Pakistan and the United States have a long history of partnership in education and research, and this agreement shows our commitment towards consistent efforts and resolve that the partnership will continue for many years.
He said that Pakistani researchers are making significant contributions to the scientific community both at national and international level.
Since the programme’s inception in 2005, the United States and Pakistan have jointly funded nearly $34 million in collaborative research, supporting 96 projects conducted by scientists and researchers from both the nations .
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman Higher Education Commission, visited the site of new campus of the University of Swabi. Prof. Dr. Noor Jehan, Vice Chancellor University of Swabi, briefed the HEC Chairman about the construction work. The Chairman appreciated the developmental work ongoing in the new campus.
News in Picture
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NAEAC Reviews Standard of Agri Education Institutions
The National Agriculture Education Accreditation
thCouncil (NAEAC) held its 10 meeting to review the standard of agriculture education institutions in the country. The meeting noticed that about 40 per cent of the degree programmes offered by all the agriculture education
institutions are substandard and need major improvements in terms of quality.
These programmes failed to meet some of the major criteria and were rated in X, Y and Z categories. The feedback from employers of the public and private sector agencies
The Academic Division, Higher Education Commission (HEC), being aware of the challenges faced by our current and prospective research scholars, recently organized a two-day workshop entitled ‘HEC - National Workshop on Academic Writing Skills in Social Sciences Discipline’ at Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) in collaboration with the HEC Sub-Office Bahawalpur.
The workshop was conducted by Dr. Muhammad Arif Saleem, Associate Professor, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) and Dr. Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwardi, Associate Professor, University of Peshawar. The focus of the workshop was on providing the basic skills of research and academic writing to the aspiring researchers of
HEC holds Workshop on Academic Writing Skills at IUB
the IUB, especially belonging to various disciplines of Social Sciences.
About 24 aspiring researchers from the IUB participated in the workshop, including faculty members and research students. The workshop covered eight inclusive training sessions, including lectures with focus on introduction to research writing, research proposal, problem formulation, introductory session for thesis/ article, literature review, research designs and concluding session.
The course methodology included lectures, group discussions, written material analyses, and debates. The workshop participants applauded the content of the training programme.
also indicated a decline in the quality of recent graduates.
The Council members stressed approaching the Vice Chancellors and Deans of universities to discuss the issue and take measures to improve the quality and evaluation ratings. Meetings will be held with the Deans, Directors and HoDs of disciplines concerned to review the status of implementation of accreditation recommendations meant for improvement in quality of degree programmes.
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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) participated in the Dawn Education Expos held recently in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in order to create awareness about its various programmes and answer the questions of students visiting the venues about their academic career.
The HEC set up its stalls and displayed its literature based on public awareness including brochures, leaflets, flyers, magazine and annual report containing details of different initiatives and programmes like issues related to documents attestation, equivalence of local and foreign degrees, foreign and indigenous scholarships, Digital Library, Laptop Scheme and recognition status of
HEC Participates in Dawn Education Expos, Creates Academic Awareness
Research Pavilion Set up at Karachi Expo Centre to Display University Research Projects
The Higher Education Commission’s National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) held its third meeting at the HEC Regional Centre, Peshawar, to discuss issues related to the preparation of curriculum of Archaeology.
The experts of Archaeology and museums from different provincial government departments and teachers of various public sector universities attended the meeting.
During the inaugural session of the meeting, Mr. Zaheer Ahmed Awan, Regional Director HEC, welcomed the committee members and briefed them about the significance of the ancient
HEC Body on Archaeology Curriculum Meets
universities and their campuses as well as accreditation of degree programmes.
A Research Pavilion was set up at Karachi Expo Centre having exclusive allocated space for exhibition of universities research projects.The purpose of the pavilion was to communicate the value of science to a general audience.
The ‘Research Pavilion’ provided an opportunity to share research experiences with a larger audience. Researchers showed the
quality of their work and how well they articulate the significance of their research to humans. It was an opportunity for researcher and academics to interact, learn and engage across all disciplines.
Mr. Brian Heath, Consul General of United States of America, Mr. Rainer Schmiedchen, Consul General of Germany, and many Vice Chancellors, Professors, and Deans also visited the pavilion.
Mr. Sulaiman Ahmad, Director Regional Centre, HEC, Karachi, briefed the dignitaries about different initiatives introduced by the HEC. He also informed that in a Research Expo will be held this year where numerous research activities will be conducted.
assets. He observed that Archaeology plays a vital role in promoting tourism and strengthening economy, as archaeological sites earn hefty foreign exchange for a country. He stressed the need for making the archaeology curriculum in view of the contemporary needs and international standards so that the students who graduate in the area could serve the country in a good way.
Mr. Muhammad Arif, Deputy Director Academics, emphasized that the committee should keep in view the international standard while preparing the curriculum, as the students of the subject must fulfil the international standards.
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Dr. Muhammad Usman Ghori, a Pakistan-born pharmaceutical scientist from the University of Huddersfield, who has been working on oral-controlled drug delivery systems and various
aspects of drug release behavior, has earned a top research award being declared as the 2015 Vice Chancellor’s University Student of the Year.
His research aids the pharmaceutical industry in developing more effective control release matrix tablets and has earned Dr. Muhammad Usman Ghori from the University of Huddersfield a top
Scholar Wins Award at University of Huddersfieldresearch award. He has been declared the 2015 Vice-Chancellor’s Research Student of the Year. The distinction acknowledges his completed doctoral thesis entitled ‘Release kinetics, compaction and electrostatic properties of hydrophilic matrices - plus a roster of recent and forthcoming articles’, co-written with fellow University of Huddersfield researchers, covering issues that include oral-controlled drug delivery systems and various aspects of drug release behaviour. Dr. Ghori had obtained a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, and became a registered pharmacist with the Punjab Pharmacy Council.
Higher Education Commission (HEC), Regional Centre, Quetta, in collaboration with Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta, organized a three-day workshop on “Building Research Workforce for the Global Era”.
The objectives of this workshop was to get updated information about the research field and to allow students to participate in debates in their respective field taking place in the world. Around 40 faculty members participated in the workshop. The workshop targeted MPhil researchers in
order to improve their technical writing skills about synopsis and thesis.
Prof. Dr. Jamshaid, renowned educationist, was the chief guest of the closing ceremony. Prof. Dr. Rukhsana Jabeen, VC SBKWU, and Mr. Habibullah Nasir, In-charge HEC Regional
Centre, also attended the ceremony. The Vice Chancellor appreciated the efforts of HEC Regional Centre Quetta for organizing the workshop. He highlighted the role of HEC in promotion of higher education in the province and hoped that such workshops will be organized in the future also.
HEC Workshop on Building Research Workforce
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) delegation, headed by Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC, visited Bacha Khan University (BKU), Charsadda, to express solidarity with the University management and offered Fateha for
ththe departed souls of January 20 terrorist attack. The Chairman HEC met University’s management and enquired after the health of faculty, students
Chairman HEC Visits Bacha Khan Universityand others injured in the tragic incident. He also reviewed security measures in the university and discussed the steps for further strengthening the arrangements and HEC’s support in this regard. The university management briefed Chairman HEC about detail of the barbaric incident and what steps the institution has taken after the incident.
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guidance of HEC on every front. While briefing about the performance of Sukkur IBA, Mr. Siddiqui said that students coming to the Institute are mostly marginalized academically and financially. “Sukkur IBA, in order to address these problems, initiated the concept of Talent Hunt Programme, a six-month fully funded foundation semester along with Community Colleges to uplift the educational standards of students.”
Chairman HEC Visit Sukkur IBA, Inaugurates Hostel Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed thanked the management of Sukkur IBA for inviting him and lauded Mr. Siddiqui for turning an idea into such a successful institution. He said our nation needs more educationists like him and more Institutions like Sukkur IBA.
The Chairman further said that in order to make Pakistan a prosperous country, universities and educational institutes will have to work together to illuminate our nation with knowledge. He said that Pakistan not only want good professionals but also need individual with good moral values, who can play their part in the development and progress of the country. He also inaugurated the newly constructed hostel facility for 200 students worth Rs. 165 Million and prayed for further development of Sukkur IBA and for prosperity of Pakistan.
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A delegation of London School of Economics and Political Science called on Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, HEC at the Commission Secretariat recently. The delegation, headed by Prof. Craig Kalhoun, Director LSE also included Dr. Mukulaika Banerjee, Director, South Asia Centre, LSE and Dr. Nilanjan Sarkar, Deputy Director and
Development Manager, South Asia Centre, LSE. Both sides discussed collaboration in different areas of mutual interest and how Pakistan’s higher learning institutions and LSE could work in partnership, particularly prioritizing subject areas according to socio-economic needs of the country.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed expressed the hope that the cooperation between the two sides will further enhance relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom through education and research bonds.
He also elaborated different programmes of HEC for development of higher education sector since its inception in 2002.
LSE Team Meets Chairman HEC
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) visited Sukkur Institute of Business Administration (IBA) where he met faculty members and students.
The Chairman was accompanied by Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Member (HRD) HEC and Mr. Sulaiman Ahmed, Regional Director, HEC Karachi.
Mr. Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Sukkur IBA appreciated the support and
Interactive Session at SALU
Equitable Access to Education Top Priority: Chairman HECAn interactive session with faculty members was held at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, where Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC), delivered the special talk to teachers of the University.
Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the HEC is playing its vital role for the promotion of higher education and research. He said that equitable access to education, quality assurance and good governance are the top priorities of HEC. He said that the public and private sector Universities are providing higher education and research facilities to the students countrywide. He remarked that over 900
researchers of Sindh got travel grants in the past 12 years and HEC has financially supported Sindh for organizing 142 national and international conferences.
Dr. Mukhtar said that education is the weapon through which we can eradicate the terrorism and poverty from the country. He said, the recurring budget of Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur has been increased.
Prof. Dr. Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur welcomed Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Dr. Ghulam Raza Bhatti to SALU.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed inaugurated the newly constructed Prof. Dr. Syed Adeeb-ul-Hassan Rizvi Auditorium and Strengthening Academic Facilities Block. He also visited the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation.
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Italy, and the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology jointly organized a two-week Asian Regional School on “FPGA Design for Scientific Applications” in MUET, Jamshoro.
Prof. Dr. M. A. Uqaili, VC MUET, said that the purpose of the school is to conduct a hands-on training activity to provide an opportunity for engineers, physicists, and computer scientists in the regional countries, especially Pakistan, to access new technologies and gain the necessary skills for designing and developing complete high-
MUET Organizes School on FPGA Design performance systems for scientific applications at a low cost. Meeting the requirement of the expertise in FPGAs (hardware/ software and related tools) across the region, especially in Pakistan, at academic and industrial level, Mehran UET submitted the bid for hosting the workshop and it was awarded the workshop on the basis of strong commitment, facilities and potential.
Dr. Maria Liz Crespo, Director Programme, said that the Abdus Salam International Centre, Dr. Adrew Cicutin, a representative of Multi-disciplinary Laboratory ICTP Trieste, Italy, also addressed on the occasion.
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The deteriorating groundwater quality is not only damaging the agricultural productivity but also posing hazards to the health of people, said Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
He was talking to Mr. Zahid Aziz, Managing Director Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA), at his chamber, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to install WASA line for the university.
Mr. Muhammad Hussain, Registrar UAF; Mr. Umer Saeed Qadri, Treasurer; and other notables also attended the meeting. It was decided at the meeting that UAF and WASA will collaborate in conducting
UAF, WASA to Collaborate in Analyzing, Recharging Groundwater
A national workshop was held on "Government-Academia-Industry Linkage" of the Government College University, Faisalabad (GCUF).
The event was presided over by Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad,
Chairman Higher Education Commission, while Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, Vice Chancellor GCUF, Dr. Qaiser Mushtaq, VC Islamia University Bahawalpur, Dr. Abdul Majeed, Rector University of Faisalabad, Dr. Khalid
Mahmood Khan, former VC Arid Agriculture University, Rawalapindi, Dr. Rizwan Hussain, Director General NESCOM, Dr. Muhammad Zuber, Dean GCUF, and others were also present on the occasion.
analysis, recycling and recharge of water in order to address the challenges of water quality and scarcity facing the country.
Dr. Iqrar Ahmad said that groundwater in a huge quantity was being pumped out due to increasing trend of tube wells, which is a matter of concern. He said that 1.2 million tube wells are operating only in the punjab.
He stressed the need for sensitizing the public about the rational use of water. He also recommended inclusion of topics related to water use in school textbooks as a part of curriculum.
He said, “we are pumping out water but we do not have suitable recharge mechanism. It is worsening water quality issue and decreasing the groundwater level. “
News in Picture
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Prof. Dr. Muhammad Qaiser, Vice Chancellor, University of Karachi, has said that the ongoing era belongs to social sciences and the role of social scientists is pivotal for national growth.
He was addressing the inaugural session of International Conference on Contemporary Social Sciences 2015 (ICCSS) organized by Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi, recently.
He said Social Sciences play an important role in identifying societal issues and proposing their solutions. It gives significant policy guidelines to the policy makers. “Nobody can deny the significance of social sciences in the current era, but unfortunately it was not given its due importance in the past. During the last few decades, highly worthwhile work has been done in this field, which is commendable,” he said.
Int’l Conference on Contemporary Social Sciences
KU VC Terms Social Scientists Role Pivotal for National Growth
Dr. Hasan Askari Stresses Use of Social Sciences to Cope with Extremism
Prof. Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi, renowned defense analyst, said that social sciences were paid immense attention in the post-1945 period with an objective to promote better understanding of societal problems and provide guidelines to the policy makers. He said the rise of religious extremism and terrorism has made it imperative to use the social sciences to cope with these challenges.
Dr. Moonis Ahmar, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, KU, said that Social Sciences are a key to develop political framework of a society. “A nation’s prosperity is dependent upon the role of research and academic process,” he added.
Dr. Anila Ambar Malik, Chairperson Psychology Department, KU, and others also spoke on the occasion.
The Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery (CMS), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore in collaboration with the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature, Pakistan, organized a basic veterinary training on livestock management at Nagarparkar, Sindh.
UVAS Organizes Basic Veterinary Training in Sindh The training was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Aneela Zameer Durrani and Dr. Uzma Khan under the Civic Engagement Programme of the UVAS.
Fifteen participants were selected for this training from the local community.
The core topics covered in the training included important diseases of livestock and poultry, vaccination and deworming schedules, common drugs used in treatment, nutritional deficiencies and other better animal husbandry practices.
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NED University of Engineering and Technology recently organized "DICE-Energy 2015" in collaboration with DICE, USA, and Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST).
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, former Chairman HEC, as the chief guest along with Prof. Dr. Anwar-ul-Hassan Gilani, Chairman PCST, as the guest of honour. The event which included a symposium on energy, an exhibition and an award distribution ceremony focused on energy and aimed at providing an opportunity to academia and industry to share their experiences about the topic.
Out of more than 50 projects submitted by various universities of Pakistan, 32 projects were put on display. Four projects were selected by a panel of judges as winners, which included one each from Mechanical Engineering Department, NED University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Electronics Engineering Department, NED University and Hamdard University.
He also highlighted that the university has played a vital role in promoting the renewable energy sources and methods. He added that NED-DICE Incubation and Innovation Centre provides a platform to the students studying in any university to carry out research work in this centre.
The national exhibition brought together renowned professors, scholars, industrialists and DICE representatives from all around the world. They shared their research involving generation and distribution of energy and how it could be applied to make Pakistan energy efficient with an increased economic growth.
NED University to Promote Energy Sources
GIK Institute Teams to Participate in Shell Eco-Marathon
Students Prepare Prototype, Gasoline Power Engine Cars
Two teams of Ghulam Ishaq Khan (GIK) Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology will participate in the Shell Eco-Marathon in Manila, Philippine, in March 2016.
Nine teams of students from the engineering universities of Pakistan will take part in the contest. There are three teams from Pakistan Navy Engineering College, two each from GIK Institute, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, and Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad.
A GIK Institute team has made a prototype car named Hammerhead, while the car prepared by a gasoline power engine category team has been
named as Urban. The former car had a cost of Rs. 0.6 million and Rs. 0.8 million were spent on the latter. Both the cars are made by different teams comprising final year students from different faculties of GIK Institute.
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A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan and the University of Education (UE) for collaboration in research, development, innovation and joint academic programmes. Dr. Masroor Elahi Babar, Registrar VU, and Mr. Manzoom Akhter, Registrar UE, signed the MoU in a ceremony held at the University of Education, Lahore.
The MoU envisages collaboration between the two institutions in academic and research programmes as well as human development and infrastructural resource building. Apart from the teacher education through virtual modes, this linkage provides collaboration options such as utilization of e-learning concepts for instructional design and curriculum development. The VU will also provide its Learning Management System, examination system and international quality academic contents to UE.
VU Signs MoU with University of Education
On this occasion, Dr. Naveed A Malik, Rector VU, said that the VU has always been working on judicious and economic use of resources in the national interest through innovative use of technology.
Dr. Rauf-i-Azam, Vice Chancellor, UE, said the MoU will be mutually beneficial in promoting higher quality education in the country.
Dow Diagnostic Reference and Research Laboratory (DDRRL), Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), recently organized a workshop on “Skills Enhancement and Professional Development for Healthcare Workers” and a CME session for physicians on “Interpretation of PCR for Quantification of Hepatitis Viruses” at Dow Lab Collection Centre, Sukkur.
A free screening camp was also organized for Hepatitis B and C in which more than 200 people of Sukkur screened their blood for free. In his opening remarks, Dr. Saeed Khan, Head of Molecular
DUHS holds Skill Enhancement Workshop for Doctors, Healthcare Workers
Pathology Department, highlighted the efforts of Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor, and DUHS to provide quality and affordable healthcare and diagnostic facilities to the citizens of Pakistan.
He stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has
ndranked Pakistan 2 with high rate of chronic infections in the world, and according to WHO, 15 million Pakistanis have already got infected with hepatitis viruses. He said that contaminated syringes are the main source of transmission.
His lecture also encompassed “Interpretation of PCR for
Quantification of Hepatitis Viruses” and he explained the PCR technique and its application in detection, quantification and monitoring of viral hepatitis including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis D.
He also explained the international guidelines and interpretation of the PCR results and treatment decisions when to continue the treatment or to stop the therapy. The workshop on “Skills Enhancement and Professional Development for Healthcare Workers” consisted of a series of lectures from experts.
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The University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, organized a three-day training workshop for fresh faculty members of various departments of the University.
The Quality Enhancement Cell invited many guest speakers including Prof. Dr. Fazal A. Khalid, Vice Chancellor, UET Lahore, Prof. Dr. A. R. Saleemi, member Technical Board.
UET Trains Fresh Faculty for Different Departments
Prof. Dr. Fazal A. Khalid while addressing the participants in opening ceremony said, “we are committed to ensuring quality higher education and enhancing the capabilities of newly inducted faculty members by providing them with all necessary professional trainings.”
He further said that the prime function of universities is to impart knowledge and this purpose can only be fulfilled through innovation, skills and commitment. He also emphasized the need for conducting research as, he said, it is the key responsibility of university teachers.
He also stressed the importance of outcome-based education system for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in achieving their educational goals to fulfil the country’s emerging needs.
A delegate from Higher Education Commission (HEC), Mr. Nasir Shah, Director Quality Assurance, HEC, appreciated the initiatives of QEC in this regard. During the closing ceremony, Prof. Dr.
A delegation from Korea comprising nine faculty members and 15 students from various Korean universities paid a visit to University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, recently.
It was a two-day visit in which the delegation comprising representatives from universities like Gwangju University, Chonnam National University, Chonnam Province University, Chosun University and Honam University, carried out a number of activities.
The delegation attended and delivered several presentations, made tours to various departments, held interactions, and signed MoUs. The purpose of Korean delegation’s visit to the UET Lahore was to have research collaborations and scholar exchange programme.
Visit of Korean Delegation
Al-Khawarizmi Institute of Computer Science (KICS), University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore,
threcently organized the 9 International Conference on Open Source Systems and Technologies (ICOSST-2015).
The conference programmes included a technical workshop series and student competition in collaboration with Higher Education Commission and National ICT R&D Fund Islamabad. Papers from 17 countries including US, India, France, Germany, and Malaysia were submitted in the conference.
Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Minister for Education, Punjab, was the chief guest in the opening ceremony, whereas Dr. Sakhawat Ali, Director General PCSIR, was also present on the occasion.
Moot on Open Source Systems
Fazal A. Khalid congratulated the participants on their successful completion of workshop and distributed certificates among them.
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The 8th edition of SZABIST Model United Nations (ZABMUN-VIII) conference was organized at SZABIST, Karachi. The objective of the four-day conference this year was to initiate dialogue and advocate diversity. The ZABMUN, a student-run body, organized the conference under the official sponsorship of Martin Dow alongside other sponsors. The delegates present on the occasion were eager to showcase their skills after preparations for months.
In her address, Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, President SZABIST, revealed as to how the youth have access to instant knowledge from all over the globe and how it gives them a sense of responsibility in the prevailing situation in the world.
Ms. Tooba Iqbal, a representative from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), who was the chief
MUN Conference held at SZABIST
guest on the occasion, highlighted the importance of communication as a skill necessary for the future leaders. She lauded the collaborative effort of SZABIST and other entities for holding ZABMUN-VIII.
Ms. Nasreen Haque, Vice President Administration & Finance, SZABIST, Talha Khan, President ZABMUN, and other notables also addressed the conference.
The University of Science and Technology, Bannu, in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) organized a six-day ‘Indigenous On-Campus Training (IOT)’ for the University's Non-Teaching Staff.
As many as 35 non-teaching staff members participated in the first phase of the event.
Dr. Abdur Rahim Khan, Vice Chancellor UST Bannu, and Mr. Nek Dara Jan, Director QEC, were also present on the occasion. Mr. Inamullah Khan, Additional Registrar, Dr. Muhammad Niaz Khan, Assistant Professor, IMS, and Mr. Fahad Nawaz, Assistant Professor, IMS, imparted in-
Indigenous On-Campus Training for Non-Teaching Staff at UST Bannu
depth and training in the fields of Office Management, Financial Management and Leadership, respectively.
In the second phase, a three-day training session was held at Lakki campus of the university, in which nine staff members attended the training.
Dr. Abdur Rahim Khan said that “whether one is a student or a professional, the need for learning new trends and
approaches never lose its importance. The training is a unique opportunity under the auspices of HEC for universities non-teaching staff and employees to refresh their knowledge and enhance their capacity and productivity. As a result of this training, not only the capacity and efficiency of the universities’ employees will improve but it will also help promote good governance on campus.”
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A three-day international conference on ‘Sindh: History and Culture’ was jointly organized by Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, and the National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research, Centre of Excellence, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad in collaboration with Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, at SALU, Khairpur.
Dr. Javed Ashraf, Vice Chancellor (VC) QAU, inaugurated the conference as chief guest. Dr. Parveen Shah, VC SALU, presided over the inaugural session of the conference.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Javed Ashraf said that Sindh is the land of hospitality and has a rich culture. The Sufi saints of Sindh have contributed a lot to the welfare of mankind, as they promoted peace, love and tolerance. He said Sindh has thousands of years old history and rich cultural landscape. “Sindh has witnessed the rise and fall of many civilizations, among which the Indus valley civilization was most important.”
He appreciated the role of Higher Education Commission in uplifting the Social Sciences and Humanities in Pakistan.
SALU Moot Highlights History, Culture of Sindh
Prof. Dr. Parveen Shah said the history is considered to be a valuable asset of any nation and must be preserved at all costs. “All great nations always move forward to the desired destinations of their future in the light of their past,” she revealed. She said the people who ignore history have no worth in the society.
Dr. Shah said Sindh, having the soil of magnificent history, amazing archaeological evidences and colourful culture, has a vital place among the world civilizations.
She said that Sindh has an immense wealth of love and tolerance evident from the archaeological, historical and cultural remains.
She announced to establish Institute of History to embark upon research on history, civilizations and cultures of the world, specially Sindh.
Dr. Ghulam Asghar Channa, VC Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, was the chief guest during the closing ceremony of the conference.
A daylong seminar on “Grassroots Democracy: Benefits for Common People of Pakistan”, was held at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur.
Dr. Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor, SALU, presided over the seminar, while renowned journalist and analyst, Mr. Ali Qazi, was the keynote speaker.
In her welcome address, Dr. Parveen Shah said that nobody can deny the role of media in the development of any country. She said that
Public Welfare Termed Vital for Stable Democracy
grassroots level democracy is an integral part of general concept of democracy that is “of the people, for the people and by the people”.
She remarked that the struggle for restoration of democracy resulted in the establishment of democratic system. The concept of democracy needs to be converted into reality and the common people should be enabled to enjoy its benefits. She observed that democracy cannot get stabilized in Pakistan unless the general public are truly empowered.
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The Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), Islamabad, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Security and Exhchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to promote safe investemn culture and develop CUST-SECP linkage to conduct joint reserarches and share resources.
The MoU was signed by Malik Arshad Mahmood, Registrar CUST, and Mr. Akif Saeed, Commissioner SECP, at a ceremony held in Islamabad. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, Vice Chancellors and Deans, senior faculty members of CUST and students of different universities were also
CUST, SECP Sign MoU to Promote Safe Investment Culture
present on this occasion. Prior to this ceremony, the SECP organized a one-day conference on financial literacy and personal financial planning. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed was the chief guest in the conference.
The Pakistan Study Centre, University of Peshawar (UoP) organized a seminar in connection with the World AIDS Day.
Dr. Fakhr-ul-Islam, Director Pakistan Study Centre, inaugurated the seminar and said that AIDS is not only a medical but national issue which needs to be taken into account seriously.
He said though the existing number of AIDS patients is low, yet we should not be satisfied with it. “There might be many other people who do not report it due to fear of social
UoP Marks World AIDS Day
stigma,” he observed. Other speakers talked about the reasons, symptoms and treatment of the deadly disease and shared several research studies conducted about it.
Miss Sabahat Mushtaq, Legal Advisor Noor Education Trust, Pakistan, briefed the audience about the ongoing campaign of the organization for creating awareness.
The seminar was attended by students and faculty members of various departments of UoP as well as members of civil society.
The Business Incubation Centre (BIC) of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, organized a ceremony to launch its new website -- PetsOne.pk -- on pets.
Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Dr. Aleem Bhatti, co-chaired the launching ceremony while Prof. Dr. Mansoor-ud-Din Ahmad, Dr. Muhammad Afzal, Dr. Asim Khalid, founder of PetsOne.pk, Dr. Jawad Ahmad, Dr. Waseem Shoukat, Qaiser Hussain, Dr Jasser Aftab and Dr Adnan Aslam were also present on the occasion.
PetsOne.pk is a start-up from UVAS Business Incubation Centre founded with an aim to provide a one-stop solution for the pet owners using information technology.
Website on Pets Launched
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Speakers of a seminar held recently at International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) stressed the need for adopting a clear narrative against the violent elements.
The seminar entitled “The Role of Religious Leadership in Fight against Terrorism and Rejection of Sectarianism” was presided over by Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsin Al-Turki, General Secretary Muslim World League (MWL), while it was attended by Senator Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Abu Saad Muhammad bin Saad Al-Doussri, Director Maktaba Tu Dawa; Muhammad Abduho Ateen, Director General Rabta Aalame-e-Islami Pakistan; Dr. Haza Al-Ghamdi, Cultural Attaché of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan; and Ambassadors of Tajikistan and other countries.
Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Rector IIUI, and Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, President IIUI, and other notables were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq observed that the Muslims are facing injustice especially in Palestine. He urged joint efforts for protection of Muslims.
“People, who know less about Islam, associate it with violent attitudes. This is
IIUI Weighs Role of Religious Leadership in War against Terrorism
inappropriate,” said MWL General Secretary. He added that educational insinuations are of vital importance to create awareness among the masses about Islam’s true message.
Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsin urged the students and Muslim community to strive for excellence in research. He lauded the support of Pakistani and Saudi governments for the character building of students and their efforts for dissemination of Islam’s message of peace.
The Rector IIUI said that the University has been producing
scholars in various disciplines and spreading Islamic teachings for three decades. He added the University is focused on producing moderate personalities. “Students of 45 countries are acquiring quality education in a
serene educational environment,” he said.
Dr. Al-Draiweesh emphasized joint efforts to devise comprehensive strategies for image building of the Muslim countries. He said that the negative propaganda against Islam should be exposed and countered.
The seminar highlighted the significance of strengthening relationship among the Muslim scholars and the Muslim society as a whole.
The speakers also recommended establishment of television channels for improving communication with university students and other organizations on topics related to terrorism and extremism.
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In order to increase awareness about safe patient care, Ziauddin University (ZU) organized a symposium on patient safety entitled ‘Need to Develop Patient Safety Attitudes: Why, What, How and for Whom?’
This symposium aimed at creating patient safety awareness among all healthcare professionals including medical practitioners, nurses, paramedics, healthcare teachers and students. Healthcare professionals, Deans, faculty, students and practitioners from healthcare programmes including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and allied health sciences attended the event.
ZU Symposium for Developing Patient Safety Attitudes
in Asia and Pacific, being the first economy to be recognized through peer review system. He attributed this achievement to the continuous efforts of PEC leadership for global recognition of Pakistan’s engineering educational standards.
Dr. Shahbaz Khan declared it as a great achievement for the country whereby cross border mobility for Pakistani engineering graduates will be enhanced in the region resulting in greater job opportunities.
Mr. Sher Ali Jononov and representative of Embassy of Turkmenistan also congratulated PEC on this achievement for the country and engineering professionals.
Pakistan’s Engineering Qualifications Achieve Equivalence in Asia & Pacific
A meeting to proclaim Pakistan’s membership in the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and Pacific was held at Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Head Office, Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director UNESCO Asia and Pacific Region, Sher Ali Jononov, Ambassador of Tajikistan, a
representative of Embassy of Turkmenistan, Mr. Raza Chohan, DG Attestation and Accreditation, Higher Education Commission, and others.
Dr. Shahbaz Khan officially congratulated the PEC for its milestone achievement through substantial equivalence for accreditation of engineering qualifications
Speakers stressed prevention of medical errors and highlighted the importance of root cause analysis and developing systems. They said that errors must be accepted as evidence of system flaws, not character flaws.
They shed light on the importance of safe patient care with special emphasis on error disclosure, discouragement of blame game and development of systems promoting patient safety. They pointed out the gaps in healthcare needs of the country while emphasizing the importance of social accountability of the healthcare institutions.
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Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education (DIHE), th
Karachi, held its 8 Convocation, in which a total of 1378 students were awarded degrees.
The students included one MPhil, 124 MBA, 706 B. Com, 36 BBA, 34 BSCS, 17 MEd, 35 B. Ed and 260 B. Tech, while three students were awarded gold medals for their outstanding performance.Addressing the students, Mr. Nisar Khuro, Senior Minister for Education, Sindh, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that the role of universities, apart from imparting knowledge, is to make students productive citizens.
Mr. Abdullah Dadabhoy, Chairman DIHE, said that higher education has now become a tool of economic growth, and since 2005, DIHE has been producing quality graduates who are contributing
thDIHE Awards 1378 Degrees in 8 Convocation
MA/ MSc. and BS degree holders. Eighty nine students clinched gold medals and 66 others obtained silver medals.
In his address, the Governor said that youth should aim to serve the nation, adding that the nation completely trusts the abilities of young generation. He maintained that “we will have to equip our youth with technology so that our young generation could serve the nation by playing their role actively.”
Dr. Qaiser Mushtaq, Vice Chancellor, IUB, said he is striving hard to upgrade the IUB as a top-class university.
881 IUB Students Awarded Degrees
positively in various fields for the country's economic growth.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Rector DIHE, said that DIHE is well aware of its responsibilities towards research, academic development and other forms of creative endeavours which are essential for sustained intellectual growth of any higher educational institution.
As many as 881 degrees were awarded to students of Islamia University, Bahawalpur, in the
th8 convocation of university held recently.
Mr. Rafique Rajwana, Governor Punjab, who was the chief guest on the occasion, distributed medals and degrees among the graduates including 16 PhDs, 41 MPhil students and 661
The Institute of Business Management (IoBM) awarded 932 degrees to students during its convocation held recently.
Mr. Muhammad Mian Soomro, former President, was the chief guest at the IoBM convocation.
IoBM Confers Degrees upon 932 StudentsHe highlighted the importance of helping the less-privileged through philanthropic work.
Calling the graduates as the future of Pakistan, he advised them to keep working hard. Degrees were awarded in
various programmes. Eleven students clinched gold medalists, while certificates of merit were awarded to 18 graduates. Mr. Kamal A. Chinoy, Chief Executive Pakistan Cables, and others also addressed on the occasion.
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The Isra University conferred degrees upon 373 thstudents of various fields during its 13
Convocation held recently.
The students belonged to different disciplines including Medical Sciences, Dentistry, Nursing, Vision Sciences, Physical Therapy, Management Sciences, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering and Telecommunications.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Asadullah Kazi, Chancellor Isra University, said while presiding over the Convocation held at the main campus of Isra in Hyderabad, that “We live in an age of innovation and change, and in such an age, the universities have a special obligation. They must hold fast to the best of the past and do more for the best of the future.” He urged the graduates to work hard to achieve their life goals. “You are the
thThe 10 Convocation of Beaconhouse National University (BNU) was recently held at Tarogil Campus. A total of 424 graduates were awarded degrees on this occasion. About 149 students received graduation degrees and the rest of 275 students were awarded undergraduate degrees.
The ceremony was presided over by Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana, Governor of
th424 BNU Students Receive Degrees in 10 Convocation the Punjab. Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, Chairperson, Board of Governors; Mr. Shahid Hafiz Kardar, Vice Chancellor; Mr. Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Mr. Kasim Mahmud Kasuri, Dr. Parvez Hassan, Mr. Mueen Afzal and other members of the Board, Deans of BNU Schools, faculty members and parents of students were also present on the occasion.
Mr. Malik Rafique Rajwana congratulated the students and
shed light on the importance of education in the development of a society. He urged students to utilize their degrees to substantiate the need for educated human capital.
Mr. Shahid Hafiz Kardar shed light on the achievements of faculty and students and expressed best wishes for the graduating batch. Seventeen gold medals were awarded to the students of various BNU departments.
Isra University Awards 375 Degrees
leaders of tomorrow, so get yourself ready to address the challenges of the future,” he stressed.
Prof. Dr. Ghulamqadir Kazi, Vice Chancellor Isra University, said that the main purpose of such events is not only to confer degrees on the students but also to honour those who have performed meritoriously. He hoped that the graduating students of this university will emerge as torchbearers of truth and paragons of virtue.
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university administration is committed to excellence in research and teaching.
Dr. Muhammad Moaeen-ud-Din said that laboratories will not only provide training to the postgraduate students but will also open new avenues of research in animal breeding and genetics.
He said these laboratories are open not only for researchers and students of various disciplines of the university but also for all the institutes across the nation.
Labs on Animal Breeding, Genetics Inaugurated at PMAS-Arid Agri University
A consultative workshop on goat breeding with a focus on biodiversity, conservation, and development of local goat breeds in Pakistan was organized at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi.
The event was funded by Pak-USAID research project entitled “Collaborative Research for Genetic Conservation and Improvement of Pakistani Goats” in collaboration with Iowa State University, USA. The key objectives of the workshop
Two state-of-the-art laboratories were established at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, under Pak-USAID S&T Programme Phase-V.
The laboratories were established by Dr. Muhammad Moaeen-ud-Din and his team under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmed, Vice Chancellor.
Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Executive Director, HEC, and Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, inaugurated the two genetics laboratories in presence of Dr. M. Mazhar Saeed, DG P&D, HEC, Ms. Katherine Matheson, NAS, USA, and Gul-e-Afshan, Programme Coordinator, S&T Programme US Embassy, Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. G. Raza Bhatti admired the efforts for achievement of this milestone and congratulated the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University for it. He assured
the university of extending full cooperation from the HEC for its uplift.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor said that the
Varsity Assured of Full HEC Cooperation for Uplift
Workshop on Goat Breeding
were to highlight the issues related to goat breeding, biodiversity, conservation, and development of local goat breeds, current problems and bottleneck and ways and means to overcome these challenges.
A strategy was chalked out especially with regard to application of modern genomic technology in the current set-up of goat production. Experts of high national repute in animal breeding and genetics joined the event.
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The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has established a Veterinary Hospital in the outskirts of the city, near Dera Sain Graveyard, Ghulam Muhammad Abad, in order to provide free veterinary medical treatment for the livestock of the farming community.
The hospital has been established at the cost of Rs. 25 million covering an area of 8900 square feet as the initiative of social services on the part of the UAF. The hospital was inaugurated by Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor UAF, who was flanked by Dr. Zafar Iqbal Randhawa, Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, Director Students’ Affair, Dr. Riaz Virk, Director Farms, Prof Dr Tahir Siddique, Amir Saeed Rana,
UAF Sets Up Veterinary Hospital near Faisalabad
Nazir Ahmad, Director Monitoring, and other officials.
Addressing on the occasion, Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that state-of-the-art veterinary facilities will be provided to the farming community residing here at their doorstep. The hospital will promote the livestock sector, he said, adding
Engro Fertilizer marked a recruitment day in the University of the Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) where 300 students were tested for different slots of the agriculture in Engro.
The test was conducted in collaboration with the Directorate of Financial Assistance and University Advancement. The Engro team was led by Abid Ilyas Dar, Senior Adviser Seeds Business, and Amir Ghafoor, Senior Business Development Adviser North. Talking to the Engro team, Prof. Dr. Hafeez Ahmad Sadaqat, Director Financial Assistance, said that his office is involved in providing the students with scholarships and career counseling services. He vowed to hold a job fair at the campus in order to provide job opportunity to the students and good employees to the job providers.
Engro Fertilizer Marks Recruitment Day
The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) produced as
UAF Produces 153 PhDs in 2015many as 153 PhDs in 2015, which is a new record in the history of UAF.
According to Dr. Abdul Wahid, Controller Examination, the university has produced 1358 PhDs since its inception in
1961. The University, he said, produced 101 PhDs in 2014; 93 in 2013; 74 PhDs in 2012; and 89 PhDs in 2011.
The UAF has produced 68,185 graduates so far since 1961. Out of them, around 40 per cent (26981 students) passed out since 2008.
News Flash
that agriculture is the backbone of our economy and half of the share of the sector comprises livestock. He said that teaching and research work will also be carried out at the hospital.
Dr. Khan also directed the official concerned to establish modern sheds on the premises of the hospital, as the cattle deserves intensive care with the availability of modern medical and other facilities. He added that the university had already established a modern agriculture market near the veterinary hospital.
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The inauguration ceremony of Microsoft Accelerator was recently held at Bahria University Islamabad with an objective to develop a strong technical resource pool in Pakistan.
This technical resource pool will be the latest of technologies which will drive innovation and fuel the local software economy. The programme focuses on imparting technical skills among students, professionals and start-ups.
In his address on the occasion, Mr. Tanveer Faiz, Rector Bahria University, said that Bahria University has the honour of hosting Microsoft Innovation Centre at its Karachi campus, which has been functioning since November 2014 and
Microsoft Accelerator Inaugurated at Bahria University
has been providing training on skill development and innovation to not only the Bahria University faculty and students but also to the researchers from outside. He said that the idea behind the establishment of Microsoft Accelerator aims to accelerate the process of commercialization of ideas being incubated at Business Incubation Centres already established at both the campuses of Bahria University.
the purpose of training and also emphasized the importance of holding similar training in the future as well. She said that it is important to improve the functioning of ladies as an effective family members through understanding and developing family relations.
The workshop highlighted the importance of personal development in order to discover valuable personal information that builds upon growth for a better life and improved mental health.
BU holds Women Personal Development Course
A two-day course on “Personal Development” was organized by the Department of Professional Psychology for Ladies at Bahria University, Islamabad.
The objective of the course was to enhance awareness of psychological and emotional
understanding in practical life settings such as stress and emotional management through personal development. The wife of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah graced the occasion as chief guest. While talking to the audience, she appreciated the efforts of Bahria University and
As many as 40 engineering students from Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology Khuzdar (BUETK) recently participated in “All Pakistan Study Tour of Female Engineers of BUETK”. The purpose of the tour was to strengthen national harmony
BUETK Students Participate in Study Tourand integration. Engr. Muhammad Amin, Vice Chancellor BUETK highly supported the study tour which aimed to strengthen national harmony and integration through interaction with students of other provinces; to give students an opportunity to
relate their classroom learning to the real world situations of other provinces of our country in order to broaden the horizons; and to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of their country through academic, social activities and cultural visits.
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members supported them. He said that the outlook of the website has been changed and access to various links has been made user friendly. She said
Punjab University Launches New Websitethat access to various HEC database and research journals has also been made easier through the website. Urdu version of the website is also available, in which further developments are being made. She thanked the committee members for playing their role in re-designing of the website.
The VC and other academicians liked the new interface and appreciated the work done by the committee.
The Punjab University (PU) has inaugurated an online registration system in order to facilitate students who want to get enrolled with the university.
Dr. Mujahid Kamran, Vice Chancellor Punjab University, formally inaugurated the system in a ceremony held at the Vice Chancellor’s office.
Dr. Liaqat Ali, Registrar PU, Dr. Kamran Abid, Additional
PU Inaugurates Online Registration SystemRegistrar, Jaleel Tariq, Deputy Registrar, Imran Qureshi, Director IT, and other officials were present on the occasion.
Dr. Mujahid Kamran said that the step has been taken to facilitate students to adopt modern means of registration.
Private candidates and administration of affiliated colleges can register their students through the PU’s official website.
Engr. Jawed Salim Qureshi, Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), recently visited MUET, Jamshoro, where he was warmly welcomed by Dr. Mohammad Aslam Uqaili, VC MUET.
Engr. Jawed Salim Qureshi highlighted the programmes envisaged by the PEC for the welfare of engineers and the protection of their rights and interests. Later, the PEC Chairman launched a book “Recruitment Test Made Easy”, written by Engr. Junaid Sheikh. The book is a dedicated guide
Chairman PEC Launches ‘Recruitment made Easy’
for electrical, electronics, telecom and computer engineers. Dr. B. S. Chowdhry, Dean Faculty of Electrical, Electronics and Computers System Engineering, said that the book will immensely help the young, unemployed engineers.
The University of the Punjab (PU) has launched its newly designed official during a ceremony held recently. Dr. Mujahid Kamran, Vice Chancellor PU, inaugurated the website.
Dr. Hasan Mobeen Alam, President Academic Staff Association, Dr. Shahid Munir, Controller Examinations, Dr. Kamran Abid, Additional Registrar-I, Imran Qureshi, Director IT, Deans and others were present on the occasion.
Dr. Kanwal Ameen, Convener Website Re-Designing Committee, briefed the VC and other participants about the website's new design and the way the other committee
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The joint research project “Lithomatic” of Foundation University Islamabad (FUI) and NUST (SEECS) was short-listed from a large number of universities across the world for the Hong Kong Poly Tech University Global Challenge.
The project short-listed among 30 others was indigenously designed and successfully tested by students. It is Pakistan’s first pneumatic lithotripter for the most cost effective minimally invasive surgery of urinary stone disease. Lithomatic secured the fourth position and received the Commendation Award of US $1000 and shields for each team member. Each team made a 20 minute presentation on the project before the international panel of judges and audience which was followed by a 10-minute question-answer
session. FUI-NUST team made a presentation on Lithomatic and also played a real video of the procedure of the Lithotripsy cases done at Fauji Foundation Hospital by Dr. Khalid Farouk, Head of Urology Department, Foundation University Medical College. Out of 30 projects, six teams qualified for the final round and FUI-NUST team was one of them. The scientific research team from Pakistan beat the
teams from India, Singapore, Germany, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ireland, Netherland, South Korea, Malaysia, Nigeria, Chinese Mainland and Mexico.
The newly designed Pneumatic Lithotripter has several additional features which are not present in other imported lithotripters. Its smart monitor provides real time image enhancement.
Lithomatic Wins Commendation Award in Hong Kong
A two-day international conference on “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Strategic Impact on Regional Development” was organized by National University of Modern Languages.
Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman Parliamentary Committee on CPEC, was the chief guest of the inaugural session, while host of the ceremony Mr. Ziaud Din Najam and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman Higher Education Commission, participated as keynote speakers on the occasion.
Int’l Moot on CPEC held at NUMLMr. Mushahid Hussain Syed said that Pakistan has become a center of gravity for the world, adding that the shift of power can be seen from the west to the east and Pakistan. He said that CPEC is not just a root but a concept and it must be taken in a broader sense. “CPEC would become a symbol of unity among the people of Pakistan”, he said.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad said that HEC is planning to establish an excellence centre of Central Asian universities to share knowledge and initiate collective projects to make the region a land of opportunities. He said that CPEC project will cover all the aspects like food security, economic growth, climate change and energy etc. He was of the view that it is high time to establish cluster of educational institutes across the globe.
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ndRiphah International University organized 2 two-day international symposium on “Emerging Challenges in Corporate Finance” with an aim to put its share in building a knowledge economy with the help of national and international universities and the corporate sector.
The symposium was held in collaboration with Turkish, Malaysian, and Indonesian universities as well as the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and the Bank of Punjab (BoP).
The main theme of this symposium was to bring into focus the contemporary issues and challenges in corporate finance and to bridge the research perspectives for the social and economic development of economy.
Prof. Muhammad Amanullah Khan, Dean FMS, delivered the opening speech at the event, while Dr. Muhammad Naveed, Assistant Professor/Event Secretary FMS, delivered the key note speech.
Dr. Denies Priantinah, Faculty of Economics, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia, Dr. Serkan Erkam, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Hacettepe University, Turkey, Dr. Serdar, Department of Statistics, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey, and Dr. Hishan S. Sanil, Faculty of Management Sciences, Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia, along with Syed Murtaza Abbas Naqvi, Deputy Director SECP, Pakistan, Mr. Sajjad Ali, Deputy Director SECP, Pakistan, and others were also present during the symposium.
Riphah Symposium Highlights Challenges in Corporate Finance
Setting up Mediation Centre in Islamabad
Riphah Institute of Public Policy, Riphah International University, has established the first ever Mediation Centre, “Riphah Mediation Centre”, in Islamabad with an aim to help the citizens address their issues through their intellectual capacity.
In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with Pakistan Mediator Association (PMA). The key organizations which extended their support in this regard included Islamabad Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Federal Judicial Academy, respective Bars associations, Sharait Court, IFC, Pakistan Mediator Association, Certified Mediators and key academicians. An awareness seminar was held to apprise the audience about the services to be provided by Riphah Mediation Centre.
Mr. Khalid Ameen, Director General Federal Judicial Academy, Ms. Robina Tofiq Shah, Director General Trade Dispute Resolution Organization Ministry of Commerce, Dr. Rashid Aftab, Director Public Policy Riphah University, and others made detailed presentations during the seminar.
They observed that internationally mediation has now become an effective method for an early settlement of corporate disputes and other disagreements without going through a legal process.
The event was largely attended by lawyers, representatives of the corporate sector, international development agencies, academicians, civil society and experts on the subject.
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NUST International Model United Nations 2016 (NIMUN-16) was recently held at National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
Around 500 delegates, including 33 international delegates from countries such as China, Nepal, Afghanistan and Liberia, attended the event. The theme for this year’s event was ‘Unity Beyond Borders’. Several committee sessions were held wherein the delegates expressed their views on numerous topics ranging from global health issues and economic crisis to international security.
The speaker sessions featured esteemed guests such as Ambassador Inam-ul-Haq, Dr. Ashfaque Hasan Khan, a leading economist and senior faculty at NUST, Ambassador Syed Hassan Javed and others enlightened the delegates with their knowledge and experience. Along with these sessions, there were four social events that generated overwhelming attendance as well. The
NIMUN 2016 Demonstrates ‘Unity beyond Borders’first day saw a Global Village where the delegates showcased stalls and cultural knowledge of their allocated countries. There was a carnival Jashn-e-Chiraghan on the second day, with musical performances by folk rock group, Khumariyaan, and famous dhol (drum) player Pappu Saein. The third day brought with it the exquisite formal dinner with the theme, Midas Touch, which left everyone in awe and gave everyone an opportunity to interact with delegates from all walks of life.
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US, Pakistani Scientists Discuss Impacts of Viral Diseases on Agri Sector
A meeting of Borlaug fellows and USDA-ICARDA Virology Group was recently held at National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), wherein renowned scientists from USA and Pakistan discussed the implications and threats of viral diseases on sustainable agriculture development in Pakistan.
Dr. Muhammad Tahir, a Borlaug fellow and PI of the ICARDA-USDA project, convened the meeting, while Dr. Peter John, Principal Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied
Biosciences (ASAB), welcomed the participants and briefed them on the research and development activities at ASAB.
Molly Rumery, a representative Borlaug fellow from USA, shared her experiences and role of the fellowship programme in promoting food security and agriculture development.
Dr. Brian Scheffler, the USDA representative and Research Leader of Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, briefed the members about
various opportunities provided by USDA. Dr. Asif Raza, Pro-Rector Academics NUST, also addressed the meeting and enlightened the participants with the role of NUST in training plant biotechnologists for meeting the agricultural threats.
Dr. Muhammad Arshad, Coordinator USDA-ICARDA project, highlighted the progress regarding cotton virus management in a USDA-ICARDA funded project. The group members had an in-depth discussion on the subject matter.
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