December 2011

Scholars of Needs-based Programme Shine at IBA Convocation

21

Good Governance, Strategic Planning

Workshops at NUST, QAU16

Higher Education Meant for

Creation of New Knowledge:

Dr. Laghari

4

Table of Contents

Graphic Designer

Raja Ahmad Nadeem

Reporter

Waseem Khaliqdad

Editor

Aayesha Ikram

Publisher:

Higher EducationCommission, Pakistan

HEC News & Views is published every month. 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.

16Good Governance, Strategic Planning Workshops for HoDs of QAU & NUST

4Higher Education Meant for Creation of New Knowledge: Dr. Laghari

9HEC, Pink Ribbon Ink MoU for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

26 15 VCs/Rectors of Punjab Call on Governor

2 Financial Crisis at Universities Discussed

Scholars Complete PhD from UK under

HEC Partial Support Programme

US Patent Awarded under HEC's Project

“Patent Filing”

Knowledge Exchange Trainings held for

HEC, Universities

NSMC Awards Indigenous Scholarships

on Quota Basis

Four IEEE Transactions in a Year by

Pakistani Research Group

Accreditation Councils Meet at HEC

Meeting of 30 QECs held at HEC

Peshawar

th16 Faculty Professional Development

Programme Concludes

NUST Conference on Application and

Methods of Physics

Education Inevitable for Nation

Building: Governor KPK

Development Linked to Quality

Education: CM

Turkish Extension Centre to be

Established at UAF

2

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10

11

16

18

20

22

24

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6

Commission Events

2

Chancellors, Eng Imtiaz

Gillani also requested that this

relief should be embedded as

part of recurring budget. They

thanked the Finance Minister

f o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e

predicament and assured him

that they will redouble their

efforts to be more creative to

look for alternative source of

funding.

T h e F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r

appreciated the positive

approach of the heads of

institutions and suggested

t h a t a s t wo p i l l a r s o f

Government, such meetings

should be held more often for

better understanding between

both stakeholders.

The meeting was also attended

by Dr. Javaid R. Laghari,

Chairman Higher Education

Commission, Dr. Sohail

Naqvi, Executive Director

HEC, Dr. Mazhar Saeed,

D i r e c t o r G e n e r a l ,

A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d

Financial Crisis at Universities DiscussedVice Chancellors Meet Finance Minister

Coordination HEC, Rana Asad

Amin, Special Secretary

Finance, Mr. Seerat Asghar,

Additional Secretary Finance

and Mr. Asif Shaikh, PSDP

S p e c i a l i s t P l a n n i n g

Commission.

The vice chancellors included

Dr. Nasser Ali Khan, Director

IMS, Peshawar, Ahmad

Farooq Bazai, Vice Chancellor

Balochistan University of

Management and Sciences,

Quetta, Mrs. Sultana Balouch,

Vice Chance l lor Sardar

B a h a d u r K h a n Wo m e n

Univers i ty, Quet ta , Dr.

Mujahid Kamran, University

o f t h e P u n j a b , D r .

Nizamauddin, Gujrat, Dr.

Nilofer Shaikh, Khairpur, Dr.

A . Q . M u g h a l , S i n d h

A g r i c u l t u r e U n i ve r s i t y

Ta n d o j a m , D r. M a s o o n

Yasinzai , Quaid-e-Azam

University and Dr. Najma

N a j a m , K a r a k o r u m

International University,

Gilgit.

The Vice Chancellors of 10

public sector universities met

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh,

Federal Minister for Finance

recently to discuss provision

o f a d d i t i o n a l g r a n t t o

universities to cater for the 50

percent increase announced

last year and the 15 per cent

increase this year by the

Government. The meeting also

discussed World Bank funded

US $ 300 million Tertiary

E d u c a t i o n S u p p o r t

Programme.

The Minister heard the Vice

Chancellors’ point of view

p a t i e n t l y a n d s a i d h e

understood the delicacy of the

situation. After a detailed

discussion he asked Special

Secretary Finance, Rana Asad

Amin to discuss the issues and

come up with a rational relief

for the universities in need.

The Vice Chancellors who

were headed by Chairman

Executive Committee of Vice

PhD Studies Abroad. Soherwordi completed his

PhD from the School of Social and Political

Studies, Centre for South Asian Studies,

University of Edinburgh. He was awarded

scholarship in the final year of his studies.

His research is entitled “Pakistan Foreign Policy

Formulation: An Analysis of Institutional

Interaction between Pakistani and American

Policy Making Bodies”. He has to his credit five

international and 20 national publications in the

Scholars Complete PhD from UK

under HEC Partial Support Programme Mr. Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi and Mr.

Liaqat Ali have successfully completed their

doctorate degrees under Higher Education

Commission’s Partial Support Programme for

Commission Events

3

“Pakistan is blessed with the

precious human resource and

mineral wealth of all kinds but

our economic condition is very

dismal. We have previously

neglected higher education,

which is the direct source of

human resource development.

HRD must be welded to the

higher education and research

to exploit the natural resources

of the country to their

maximum potential.”

These views were expressed

by Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive

Director, HEC while speaking

during his recent visit to the

Hazara University, Mansehra.

He said that the secret of stprogress in 21 century is total

commitment to empowering

our youth with the intellectual

f i r e w o r k o f m o d e r n

discoveries and academic

excellence, unfolded through

research and generation of

knowledge in the universities.

HRD Directly Linked to HigherEducation, Research: Dr. Sohail Naqvi

“Since 2001, HEC has tried its

best to promote higher

e d u c a t i o n a n d p r o v i d e

opportunity to a greater

number of youth so that they

could make Pakis tan a

productive country through

their relevant research.

The number of PhDs and

productive scientists has

increased manifold, what we

need at present is a conducive

national policy to make higher

education one of our top

priorities,” he added.

Dr. Syed Sakhawat Shah, Vice

Chancellor, Hazara University

appreciated the role of HEC,

e s p e c i a l l y o p e n i n g

universities in the rural areas

of the country. “Hazara

Univers i ty i s one such

institution, which needs

special attention and support

in its early years of growth,” he

said.

Dr. Naqvi also inaugurated the

foreign faculty hostel at the

University, which has been

funded by the HEC.

field of International Relations and Pakistan-US

relations during the War on Terror. His thesis is

under process of publication in book form by the

Oxford University Press. Dr. Soherwordi is

currently working as Senior Lecturer in the

Department of International Relations,

University of Peshawar.

Similarly, Mr. Liaqat Ali, a resident of village

Dagai, district Swabi, who was pursuing his PhD

degree in Earth Resources (Geology) under HEC

Programme "Strengthening of NCE in Geology,

University of Peshawar" completed his PhD from

Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter,

UK. He also proceeded abroad under the Partial

Support Programme.

His doctoral research is focused on developing

exploration tools for precious and base metals

using advance mineralogical/geochemical

techniques and GIS in remote and glaciated areas

of North Pakistan. Dr. Liaqat Ali is currently

working in the National Centre of Excellence in

Geology, University of Peshawar.

Commission Events

4

heartening to note that Punjab

University is producing over

100 PhDs a year while all

P a k i s t a n i u n i v e r s i t i e s

collectively produced 700

PhDs last year."

He said that HEC was

ambitious in ensuring quality

e d u c a t i o n a n d q u a l i t y

research. “For this purpose,

various steps have been taken

including establishment of

Quality Enhancement Cells,

directorates of distance

education, introduction of

associate degree programmes,

efforts for regulating colleges,

etc.”

Chairpersons and other

faculty members. Senator

Jahangir Badar also attended

the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Chairperson said that the

greatest challenge faced by

higher education was to reach

out to the people in remote

areas at their doorstep and

f inancia l ly support the

students who cannot afford

higher education. He said that

higher education was meant

for creation of new knowledge

and, for this purpose, Pakistan

w o u l d d e f i n i t e l y n e e d

qualif ied faculty. “It is

Dr. Laghari is being briefed about students’ work displayed at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design

During his recent visit to

Lahore, Dr. Javaid R. Laghari,

C h a i r p e r s o n H i g h e r

E d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n

visited various universities of

the city. HEC Regional Centre,

Lahore coordinated the whole

activity.

Pakistan Institute of Fashion

and Design

Ms. Hina Tayyaba, Acting Vice

Chancellor, PIFD briefed the

Chairperson about the courses

offered by the Institution. She

also elaborated how they are

m o t i v a t i n g f o r e i g n

institutions, organizations and

faculty members to support

students by sharing their

knowledge and experiences of

industry.

Dr. Laghari emphasized that

commercialization impact

should be considered in mind

and the graduating students

s h o u l d h a v e a n

entrepreneurial aptitude. He

visited the campus and talked

to teachers and students. On

the occasion, practical work

was displayed by students of

various departments, which

was appreciated by the

Chairperson.

University of the Punjab

Dr. Laghari held a meeting

with Dr. Mujahid Kamran,

Punjab Univers i ty Vice

C h a n c e l l o r , D e a n s , Chairperson HEC addresses the audience at University of the Punjab, Lahore

Higher Education Meant for Creation of New Knowledge: Dr. Laghari

Commission Events

5

Dr. Mujahid Kamran lauded

the services of Dr. Laghari for

promotion of higher education

in Pakistan and HEC's help for

gradual improvement of the

University and for funding

various projects.

Lahore College for Women

University

Dr. Sabiha Mansoor, Vice

Chancellor highlighted the

role of LCWU in imparting

education to women. She also

briefed the Chairperson about

different HEC funded projects.

On the occasion, Dr. Laghari

gave a lecture based on his

recent book “The Wizardry of

Leadership”. A large number

of local vice chancellors,

faculty members and students

attended the lecture.

University of Education

Prof. Farhat Saleem gave a

presentation about the courses

offered at the University,

besides faculty strength and

other available facilities. Dr.

F a i z u l H a s s a n , V i c e

Chancellor was also present on

the occasion.

In his address, Dr. Laghari

stressed the significance of

m a k i n g t h e a d m i s s i o n

procedure centralized at

University level. He showed

his concern on the student

teacher ratio in the University.

He added that University

administration should arrange

Dr. Laghari being presented ceramic work during his visit to the Lahore College for Women University.

The Chairperson also inaugurated Reading

Room and Sports Room at HEC Regional Centre,

Lahore. Mr. Muhammad Raza Chohan, Director,

Regional Centre informed the Chairperson that

the Reading Room has been established with

updated books, magazine, journals and

newspapers, while Sport Room is equipped with

indoor sports facilities. Superior Group of

Colleges has provided the sports equipment.

INAUGURATION

training courses for school and

college teachers in the region,

i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h

S e c o n d a r y a n d H i g h e r

Education Departments. He

also visited the University

campus.

The University of Lahore

During his visit to the

University, Dr. Laghari was

briefed by the Rector, Dr. M. H.

Qazi, about progress of the

University.

Address ing the facul ty

members and students, the

Chairperson appreciated the

efforts made by university in

private sector for providing an

i d e a l a t m o s p h e r e a n d

resources to knowledge

seekers country.

He said that universities must

have Technology Parks like

Turkey and other developed

countries so the students may

h a v e b e t t e r c a r e e r

opportunities. He briefed the

a u d i e n c e a b o u t t h e

establishment of Offices of

Research, Innovation and

Commercialization (ORICs).

Five faculty members of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), who have left for foreign

countries to pursue their PhD studies under the Faculty Development Programme, pose for a

photograph with Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor, IUB. Ms. Aamna Noor and Ms. Shazia

Kanwal left for Great Britain, Mr. Abid Hussain Shahzad for Belgium, Ms. Nazia Sharif for Austria and

Ms. Farzana Manzoor for China.

NEWS IN PICTURE NEWS IN PICTURE

A patent, submitted by Dr. Naila Yaqoob from the

Lahore College for Women University (LCWU)

has been issued by the US Patent Office. Ms.

Naila has been awarded US Patent entitled

“Environmentally benign TCF bleaching

sequences for AS/AQ wheat straw pulp” which is

an outcome of a part of the research work

towards her PhD thesis.

She has completed her PhD at LCWU under HEC

scholarship under the supervision of Dr. Bushra

Mateen, former Vice Chancellor, LCWU and co-

supervisor Dr. K. J. Cheema, Dean, Faculty of

Natural Sciences.

Mr. Ishtiaq-ur-Rehman, Executive Chemist and

Mr. S. R. Hameed from Packages Ltd. are also the

co-workers in this patent, along with supervisor

and co-supervisor. Pakistan is a country where

wheat straw is one of the major raw materials for

the paper industry. Hypochlorite bleaching

process is a conventional and indigenous

practice to whiten the pulp. Despite the effluent

Dr. Naila Yaqoob

US Patent Awarded under HEC's Project “Patent Filing”

treatment processes, the final

discharge still poses carcinogenic

threats to the surrounding

ecosystem.

Her invention relates to the

design of an alternative eco-

friendly bleaching sequences for our indigenous

species in response to the background that our

“develop now and clean up later” policy will

steadily leave nothing for future generations

except a poor ecosystem. The invention provides

enough evidence to fill the gap between

producing quality products and requirements

for a healthy environment using recommended

total chlorine free bleaching sequences.

The work has been carried out in collaboration

with Packages Ltd (Paper and Board Mill). It is

important to mention that work included in this

patent was carried out in Pakistan only and HEC

is a financial contributor to both PhD research

work and patent processing.

Commission Events

6

c a p i t a l d e v e l o p m e n t ,

knowledge sharing/diffusion,

supporting the community/

public engagement, enterprise

e d u c a t i o n a n d

entrepreneurship, exploiting

the university’s physical

assets.

The activities focused on

K n o w l e d g e E x c h a n g e

Programme and preparation

of survey for mapping and

tracking activities related to

Knowledge Exchange in the

universities.Mr. Adrian Day

f rom Higher Educat ion

Funding Council of England

(HEFCE) was the resource

person for the training

sessions. He has been involved

for a long time in developing

the measuring and mapping of

Knowledge Exchange in UK’s

higher education institutions.

thThe 19 meeting of the National Scholarship

Management Committee (NSMC) was held at

HEC Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Dr.

Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, Higher

Education Commission. The meeting was

attended by representatives of the four

Provincial Governments, Planning Commission,

Ministry of Science and Technology and HEC

officials.

The Committee, for the first time, approved

award of indigenous scholarships under the

project “PhD Fellowship for 5000 Scholars” on

quota basis as per Federal Government policy. As

many as 650 scholarships were provisionally

awarded in light of the decision of the ECNEC

NSMC Awards Indigenous Scholarships on Quota Basis

Knowledge Exchange Trainings held for HEC, Universities

The main purpose of the whole

exercise was to familiarize the

u n i v e r s i t i e s w i t h t h e

K n o w l e d g e E x c h a n g e

concept, which covers all

activities dealing with the

exchange of information or

k n o w l e d g e f r o m t h e

university to the students,

business, government and

local community.

Knowledge Exchange is not

s i m p l y a b o u t

commercialization of science

through creation of spin offs,

licenses etc. It stands for a

broader vision and refers to

fac i l i t a t ing knowledge/

research exploitation and

process, skills and human

T h e H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n

Commission, in collaboration

with the British Council,

organized t ra in ing and

awareness activities under the

new initiative of Knowledge

Exchange (KE) Programme.

The trainings, spread over a

week, targeted the Knowledge

Exchange core team from

HEC, Knowledge Exchange

support team comprising

people from universities’

O f f i c e s o f R e s e a r c h ,

I n n o v a t i o n a n d

Commercialization (ORICs) as

well as vice chancellors/rectors

o f p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e

universities from all over

Pakistan.

meeting held on July 29, 2011 which agreed to

HEC’s proposal to award local scholarships on thquota basis after 18 constitutional amendment.

The participants were informed that the selection

for Batch-7 of the scheme “PhD Fellowship for

5000 Scholars” was prolonged due to decision at

the Government level. The members were also

apprised that being a Federal Government

o r g a n i z a t i o n , H E C w o u l d e n s u r e

implementation of quota policy in award of

indigenous and foreign scholarships in future as

well. The members appreciated the decision and

hoped that this would help in promoting inter

provincial harmony and removing regional

disparities.

Commission Events

7

Leading universities of Pakistan presented their discoveries at

a two-day All Pakistan Digital Innovation Competition and

Exhibition (DICE) 2011 recently held at University of

Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar. The annual

event brought together the region's academic research and

technology business communities to explore potential

collaborations for technology development and

commercialization. Barrister Masood Kausar, Governor KPK,

was the chief guest in the opening ceremony. Dr. Sohail Naqvi,

Executive Director was also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor underlined the

importance of industry-university linkage and appreciated

UET Peshawar for organizing the event. Addressing the

students, he said, “As future engineers you should feel proud

in what you are doing. However, you should be mindful what

you owe to humanity.”

Engr. Imtiaz Gilani, Vice Chancellor, UET said that with

HEC's support universities started their journey in 2002 with

mandate of increasing access, improving quality and bringing

in relevant research to resolve nation's problems.

“From here, universities have moved to the next tier i.e to take

paradigm shift and transform its sleepy, isolated and

conventional role into engagement with industry and real

world issues. DICE is a small step to show that universities are

getting engaged with industry and creating opportunities for

economic prosperity, developing leadership and developing

communities.”

Under the auspices of UET, HEC, Directorate of Science and

Technology, Peshawar and Bank of Khyber, DICE gathered

leading universities including COMSATS Institute of

Information Technology (Lahore and Islamabad), NED

University, Karachi, University of the Punjab, Lahore,

National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad,

University of Science and Technology, Bannu, UET Taxila,

Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan and International

Islamic University, Islamabad. These institutions showcased

their projects and participated in quiz, speed programming

and robotics competitions. Besides, DICE also attracted local

industry, including PESCO, SMEDA/WBDC, National

Universities–Industry Innovative Research Showcased at DICE 2011

Highway Authority, Industrial

Association of Pakistan, Al Hafiz

Crystoplast (Pvt) Ltd., Ideal Security

Provider, Marks Razmak Industries,

PTCL, SUPARCO, and PCSIR

Laboratories Complex Peshawar to

showcase their projects.

The whole event was made possible

with the help of Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad

K h a n , P r o f e s s o r, E l e c t r i c a l

Engineering Department, Co-Chair

DICE, Engr. Asif Ali Shah, Director

CEEC, Engr. Misbahullah, Director

Clubs, Engr. Rashid Nawaz, Student

Societies, Literary and Debating

Society.

The international collaborators

included Dr. Khurshid Qureshi, Mr.

Ashraf Qazi, Dr. Shahid Tahir, and

Dr. Mazher Hussain from USA.

8

Commission Events

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and

the Pink Ribbon recently signed a Memorandum

of Understanding for Breast Cancer Awareness

Campaign in the higher education institutions of

the country.

Dr. Javaid R. Laghari, Chairperson HEC was the

chief guest on the occasion while Ms. Fariba

Shiraz Thomson, Chairperson, Pink Ribbon

Pakistan was the Guest of Honour. Dr. Sohail

Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC and Mr. Omar

Aftab, National Coordinator, Pink Ribbon

Pakistan signed the agreement.

The MoU is a follow-up of a meeting held in

August this year between Dr. Laghari and Ms.

Thomson. It was decided in the meeting that

HEC would make a Task Force for advocacy

campaign of Pink Ribbon Campaign and Dr.

Samina Amin Qadir, Vice Chancellor, Fatima

Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi was

nominated as the Focal person for the Campaign.

It was also decided that two Focal Persons will be

nominated from HEIs of each province, who will

work and coordinate with all the Vice

HEC, Pink Ribbon Ink MoU for Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Chancellors and Steering Committee of the Pink

Ribbon Awareness Campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Laghari underlined

the seriousness of the disease. He said that over

1.5 million higher education students across the

country can play an important role in spreading

awareness about the disease.

“According to a recent report, 50 per cent of our

population lives below poverty line and, in this

scenario, the gravity of the situation needs more

focused and passionate effort to reach at the

grassroots level,” he said. The Chairperson

appreciated the Pink Ribbon for its role in

curbing the disease.

Dr. Sohail Naqvi said this is a big social issue

which needs immediate measures. “We will use

all our considerable resources for success of this

campaign. Extra efforts will be made for

conducting meaningful research in this area. We

must understand that this is a problem which is

very close to our own homes and it needs a

concerted and consistent approach to be dealt

with,” he said.

Commission Events

9

Ms. Fariba Shiraz Thomson thanked the Higher

Education Commission for acknowledging

significance of the issue and joining hands with

the Pink Ribbon for spreading awareness

throughout universities of the country.

Dr. Samina Amin said that HEC has become a

strategic partner of the Pink Ribbon Pakistan, for

extending research and development, academic

and technical support for the breast cancer

awareness through provision of its outreach,

human resource and facilities. HEC and Pink

Ribbon will jointly initiate research projects on

different aspects of Breast Cancer in Pakistan,

besides holding Continuing Professional

Education seminars and workshops to highlight

different aspects of breast cancer. HEC will

disseminate awareness through all available

communication channels.

Awareness Seminar

A seminar was recently organized at HEC

Islamabad for awareness of breast cancer disease,

which was attended by 67 female participants,

including HEC employees, faculty members

from 16 universities of the twin cities and spouses

of male HEC employees. Learning Innovation

and HRM Divisions arranged the event.

The members of Controls and Signal Processing

Research (CASPR) Group, led by Dr. Aamer Iqbal

Bhatti at Mohammad Ali Jinnah University,

Islamabad are actively involved in the area of

Automotive Fault Diagnostics and Controls

Research for the last seven years. The successful

experiments and ensuing four publications in

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics and

IEEE Sensors Journal [1-4] boosted the

researchers' confidence a great deal.

The research strategy essentially consists of

multiple phases. In the first phase, Automotive

Fault Diagnostics is focused upon. A handheld

device is developed to access vital engine

variables and detect existing engine faults. To

monitor engine conditions and earlier fault

prediction (like misfire detection), theoretically

involved algorithms are proposed and

successfully tested on a commercially available

1300 cc vehicle.

With the advent of ruggedized computers and

electronic components, the pre-dominantly

mechanical industry of automotives has

undergone a fundamental transformation. Many

Automotive Fault Diagnostics Research

Four IEEE Transactions in a Year by Pakistani Research Group

difficult problems in the automotive engine

operations have been solved amicably through

the use of electronics, among them the prominent

ones being pollution, fuel efficiency and the

engine reliability. Now the fuel is sprayed into

cylinders through Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI).

The amount of fuel sprayed is carefully

manipulated by the Engine Control Unit (ECU).

Engine Control Unit is a computer mounted on

the engine running complex mathematical

algorithms in real time. This computer also

ensures the reliability of the engine by intimating

to the driver the faults arising in the engine

(commonly called Fault Diagnostics). This not

only ensures the reliability of the engine but also

helps in reducing pollution.

The next phase of Group's work consists of

executing an awareness campaign in the local

mechanics regarding the use of the developed

device. Also the development of state-of-the-art

engine control strategies is very much on the

cards. “CASPR is grateful to the Higher

Education Commission and ICT R&D Fund for

the sponsorship of this research,” says Dr. Bhatti.

Commission Events

10

Registrar PEC to look into the possibility of standardizing the procedures amongst the Councils that should be followed by all the universities while initiating any new programme in any discipline.

It was also agreed by all the participants that the entry test system should be reviewed to have a common testing system for each discipline.

Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC ensured the c o n t i n u o u s s u p p o r t t o Councils in the area of capacity building of the Councils in general and the programme evaluators in particular.

All the Councils agreed to conduct such a meeting at least twice a year to further enhance the coordination and collaboration amongst all the Councils and HEC.

Accreditation Councils Meet at HEC Pakistan Bar Council, Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council, National Council for Tibb, Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l f o r H o m e o p a t h y, P a k i s t a n Medical and Dental Council, Pakistan Nursing Council, Pakistan Engineering Council, N a t i o n a l A c c r e d i t a t i o n C o u n c i l f o r T e a c h e r Education, National Business Education Accreditation Council, National Computing Education Accreditation C o u n c i l , a n d N a t i o n a l A g r i c u l t u r e E d u c a t i o n Accreditation Council.

All the Councils agreed to adapt the best practices followed all over the world to s t a n d a r d i z e t h e i r accreditation processes and harmonize the rating process of accredited programmes. A committee will be convened by Dr. Nasir Mehmood,

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of the Higher Education Commission organized a meeting of all Professional/ Accreditation Councils at HEC Secretariat.

The main objective of the meeting was to strengthen the already existing bond between the Councils and HEC for the improvement of q u a l i t y e d u c a t i o n a t programme level.

Representatives of all the 13 Councils participated in the meeting and fully supported t h e i d e a o f m u t u a l c o o r d i n a t i o n a n d collaboration amongst the Councils and HEC to promote i m p o r t a n c e o f q u a l i t y education in the country.

T h e C o u n c i l s i n c l u d e d P a k i s t a n C o u n c i l f o r Architects and Town Planners,

A workshop for the Empowerment of

Examination System of the higher education

institutions was organized by the Learning

Innovation Division, HEC. Dr. Norman Reid

from the University of Glasgow was the resource

Workshop on Empowerment of

Examination System

person. Twenty four heads of examination

departments of HEIs from all over Pakistan

attended the capacity building activity.

Speaking to the participants, Dr. Sohail Naqvi,

Executive Director, HEC emphasized the

importance of role of heads of examination units

for betterment of assessment system of the

universities.

The workshop is first of the series and more such

workshops for heads of examination units of

HEIs will be held in 2012.

Commission Events

11

Mr. Rifat Ullah Khan, HEC scholar of Batch IV, published five papers in ISI impact factor

journals in 2011. The papers have been published in high ranking animal science journals

such as World's Poultry Science, Tropical Animal Health and Production and Animal Feed

Science and Technology. Currently, the scholar is perusing PhD in Physiology from

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

NEWS FLASH

Commission Events

12

Mr. Rahim Bux Channa,

Director General Attestation

and Accreditat ion bade

farewell to the Higher

Education Commission on

November 30 after serving the

erstwhile University Grants

Commission for 21 years and

HEC for the last 10 years. “It is

an honour to be retiring from

HEC as I have served this

organization to the utmost of

my ability,” he said in his

address to the jam packed

auditorium where the entire

HEC staff had gathered to bid

him adieu.

Sharing his views on the

occasion he said that the

a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e

o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d h i s

colleagues was indeed a

difficult hurdle to overcome at

such a time but he was

satisfied in his heart that he

had reciprocated in turn. Dr.

Javaid R. Laghari, Chairperson

Mr. Rahim Bux Channa Retires

H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n

Commission lauded the

services of Mr. Channa for

both UGC and HEC.

Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive

Director HEC while sharing

his views on the occasion said

that while Mr. Channa had

provided the strong backbone

t o t h e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

Division, he was glad that the

strong foundation would

remain even in the absence of

Mr. Channa. This was how

institutions grow and mature

he added. Dr.

M u k h t a r

Ahmed, former

Member O and P

joined in from

R a b a t a n d

p r a i s e d M r .

C h a n n a ' s b y

saying that HEC

would not forget

his services. Dr.

A l t a f A l i G .

Shaikh, fromer Member

(Academics) HEC reminisced about his long association with Mr. Channa. He said it was always a pleasure to work with him.

Hailing from Shikarpur and

armed with a Masters degree

in Economics Mr. Channa

joined UGC in 1971 and

Islamabad his home. He spent

three fourths of his career in

the Administrat ion and

headed it till 2007 when he

assumed the charge of DG

Academics and DG Sports. He

managed to infuse in these two

Divisions the dedication and

commitment to tasks he is well

known for. He spent the last

leg of his career in the

Attestation and Accreditation

D i v i s i o n a n d b e c a m e

synonymous for HEC staunch

stance in verification of

degrees of Parliamentarians.

A series of workshops on Computer Assisted

Language Learning (CALL) were organized by

the English Language Teaching Reforms (ELTR)

Project of the Higher Education Commission

(HEC) in collaboration with the British Council

from November 30 to December 17 at Islamabad,

Multan and Karachi. The first workshop of the

series opened at HEC Secretariat Islamabad,

which was attended by 20 participants from

different universities and colleges .

Prof. Dr. Khwaja Azam Ali, Managing Director,

Quality Assurance Agency, HEC was the chief

guest. Mr. Nik Peachy was the resource person

for the whole series. Mr. Ray Brown, English

Language Adviser, British Council and Mr.

Murad Khan, Head of Programmes (English)

represented the British Council.

The workshops are aimed at providing all-out

international exposure to English faculty of

colleges and universities. HEC has been

British Council, HEC Organize Series of CALL

Workshopsendeavouring to ensure that, along with the

universities, the quality of teaching process is

also enhanced at the college level.

The CALL workshops provide the participants

not only the international level understanding of

E-Learning, but also focuses on other computer

technologies. Innovative modern techniques are

used to impart the new concepts of CALL.

The workshop focused on need analysis and

classroom research tools, social book marking,

RSS and information feeds and sources, working

in virtual learning environment, twitter and

creating personal learning.

Mr. Nik Peachy said that online learning and

modern technology are quite important in

effective learning process. He emphasized that

an online community will be developed for

continuous learning process.

HEC scholar Shujaul Mulk, doing his PhD at

the University of Leicester, UK, delivered a talk

entit led "Vegetation abundance and

anthropogenic pressure in the remote Western

Himalayas; the Naran Valley, Pakistan" in an

international conference "People and Nature in

Mountains: Changing Land Use and

Landscape Dynamics" at Museum of Natural

History, Norway.

He also presented a poster entitled "Plant

c o m m u n i t i e s v e g e t a t i o n i n d i c a t e

HEC Scholar Delivers Talk in Int’l Conference environmental gradients in the

We s t e r n H i m a l a y a s " i n

i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n f e r e n c e

" S p a t i a l E c o l o g y a n d

Conservation" at University of

Birmingham, UK.

Shuja is working on Plant Biodiversity and

Ecosystem Services of Naran Valley. He is

using the robust techniques to quantify and

classify the natural vegetation and to assess the

anthropogenic pressure on it.

Commission Events

13

Successful Scholars of Indigenous PhD Programme

Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad has completed his PhD in Management Sciences, specialization

in Finance, from Foundation University, Islamabad. Earlier, he completed his MPhil

and some part of his PhD studies from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and

Technology, Islamabad. “I want to contribute towards learning by blending research

and practice in Pakistan,” says Dr. Ashfaq who is currently working as In-Charge,

Department of Business Administration, University of Sargodha. He has published

21 research papers in HEC recognized journals.

Dr. Somia Gul has completed her PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University of

Karachi in 2011. Her field of specialization is Drug-Drug interaction studies and organic

synthesis, the research topic being “Drug-Drug Interaction Studies of Sparfloxacin”.

After completing her studies, Dr. Somia has been selected as an Associate Professor in

the Faculty of Pharmacy at Jinnah University for Women, Karachi. She has, to her credit,

seven international publications in refereed journals with good impact factors. “I am

grateful to the Higher Education Commission for providing me the wonderful opportunity for PhD

studies,” says Dr. Somia.

Belonging to a village in Soon valley of district Khushab, Dr. Haroon Sarwar Awan has

completed his PhD in Economics from University of Sargodha. “My elder brother, a

PhD in Economics, was a source of inspiration for me to go for higher education.

Therefore, I applied for HEC scholarship. The deteriorating macroeconomic situation of

Pakistan has always enticed me to study this aspect. I selected monetary side of

Pakistan's economy for my research and tried to explore the solutions for monetary

problems. During my PhD studies, I also published four research papers,” says Dr. Haroon who has

joined Macroeconomics Section of Planning and Development Division, Government of Pakistan, after

completion of his studies.

Dr. Shah Jahan, who has completed his PhD from Punjab University’s National Centre of

Excellence in Molecular Biology, has the remarkable achievement of producing 22

international publications with 50 Impact Factor. “During my studies, I did a lot of

research on Molecular basis of HCV pathogenic pathways. I have identified therapeutic

targets and biomarkers for HCC progression,” says Dr. Shah Jehan. Presently working

as Assistant Professor at University of Health Sciences, Lahore, he is also an HEC

Approved Supervisor.

Dr. Haroon Sarwar Awan

Dr. Shah Jahan

Dr. Somia Gul

Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad

Commission Events

14

The Committee unanimously

selected Prof. Dr. Mumtaz

Bhutto, Chairperson, Faculty

of Social Sciences, Department

of Pakistan Studies, Preston

University, Karachi and Prof.

Dr. Shahid Ahmad Rajput,

A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r /

Chairman, Department of

History, International Islamic

University, Islamabad as

Convener and Secretary,

respectively.

The preliminary meeting of

the National Curriculum

Revision Committee (NCRC)

in Industrial Engineering was

recently held at HEC Regional

C e n t r e , K a r a c h i . M r .

Muhammad Javed Khan,

Adviser (Academics), HEC

welcomed the members of the

committee and highlighted the

importance of the curriculum

review/revision.

NCRC Meets to Review Industrial Engineering Curriculum

The Committee unanimously

selected Prof. Dr. Iftikhar

H u s s a i n , C h a i r m a n ,

Department of Industrial

Engineering, University of

Engineering and Technology,

Peshawar and Dr. Maqsood

Ahmed Khan, Associate

Professor, Department of

Industrial and Manufacturing

Engineering, NED University

o f E n g i n e e r i n g a n d

Technology, Karachi as

Convener and Secretary of the

Committee, respectively.

Dr. M. Tahir Ali Shah, Deputy

Director (Curriculum), HEC

briefed the committee about

s t a n d a r d t e m p l a t e f o r

development of curricula in

E n g i n e e r i n g d e g r e e

programmes.

The Committee discussed in

detail the existing curriculum

in Industrial Engineering and

made certain modifications,

d e v e l o p e d t h e d r a f t

curriculum at BE/BS and

ME/MS level which will be

finalized in the final meeting

of the Committee.

History Curriculum for BS and MS Programmes Reviewed

The meeting discussed the

entire curriculum and each

course was discussed with

necessary focus.

After thorough deliberations,

the Committee unanimously

approved the draft curriculum

of History for BS (4-year) and

MS (2-year) programmes,

which will be finalized in the

f i n a l m e e t i n g o f t h e

Committee.

The preliminary meeting of the

National Curriculum Revision

Committee (NCRC) in History

was held at HEC Regional

Centre, Lahore.

Malik Arshad Mahmood,

Director (Curriculum) HEC

briefed the participants about

objectives of the meeting with

emphasis on reviewing the

course outlines for BS (4-year)

and MS Programme.

Commission Events

15

W o r k s h o p s o n G o o d

Governance and Strategic

P l a n n i n g f or H e a ds o f

Departments were separately

h e l d a t Q u a i d - i - A z a m

University and National

University of Sciences and

Technology (NUST), under

HEC’s Modern University

Governance Programme for

University Management.

Dr. Mary Linda Armacost,

former President of two

American universities, was the

resource person for both the

workshops, which aimed to

equip participants with basic

principles, processes involved

in strategic planning and good

g o ve r n a n c e a s we l l a s

strategies to overcome barriers

to strategic planning.

Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Vice

Chancellor, QAU and Engr.

Muhammad Mushtaq, Pro-

Rector, NUST were chief

guests in the events at their

Good Governance, Strategic Planning Workshops for HoDs of QAU & NUST

respective institutions. They

appreciated HEC programme

and initiatives for improving

University Governance.

“It is a revolutionary step for

the Management Cadre of

universities for continuous

c a p a c i t y b u i l d i n g a n d

professional development

t h r o u g h l a t e s t t o o l s ,

techniques and international

p r a c t i c e s i n u n i ve r s i t y

governance and leadership,”

said Engr. Mushtaq.

thThe 16 meeting of 30 Quality

Enhancement Cells (QECs)

functioning since 2006 was

recently held at HEC Regional

Centre, Peshawar wherein the

impact of programme self-

a s s e s s m e n t w i t h i n t h e

university was discussed.

Meeting of 30 QECs held at HEC PeshawarProgramme self-assessment is

a systematic process of

gathering, reviewing and

using important quantitative

and qualitative data and

information from multiple

and diverse sources about

educational programmes, for

the purpose of improving

s t u d e n t l e a r n i n g a n d

evaluating whether academic

and learning standards are

being fulfilled.

S e l f - a s s e s s m e n t i s

internationally accepted as an

Participants of the workshop at NUST, Islamabad

Participants of the workshop with Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

Commission Events

16

NEWS IN PICTURE NEWS IN PICTURE Ms. Zia Batool, Director

General, Quality Assurance,

HEC recently visited The

University of Faisalabad

(TUF) where she was briefed

about the performance of

various schools of the

University with special

reference to different quality

assurance criteria.

Prof. Muhammad Ashfaq,

Additional Registrar, TUF

gave the presentation. Mian

M u h a m m a d H a n i f ,

Chairman BoGs, Dr. Abdul

Karim Baloch, Pro Rector and

Dr. Abdul Majeed, Director

Quality Enhancement Cell

were also present. Speaking

on the occasion, Ms. Batool

underlined the need to harness

best practices in teaching,

learning and research.

She also elaborated the

miss ion of the Qual i ty

Assurance Division of HEC

and the role it was playing for

elevating the standards of

e d u c a t i o n i n a l l t h e

universities of the country.

important tool for academic

q u a l i t y a s s u r a n c e a n d

p r o v i d e s f e e d b a c k a t

p r o g r a m m e l e v e l f o r

u n d e r t a k i n g r e m e d i a l

measures, if required. The

participants of the meeting

agreed that through this HEC

initiative, awareness and

sensitivity regarding Quality

Assurance measures has

i n c r e a s e d a m o n g

stakeholders. Feedback from

s takeholders , inc luding

students, alumni, employers,

teachers etc, has provided a

factual basis for decision

making.

At the same time, the academic

processes and sense of

accountability amongst the

university management and

faculty members has begun to

improve.

QEC representatives also put

forth suggestions to bring

improvement in the Self-

Assessment processes based

on their experience and

interaction with stakeholders.

Commission Events

17

th The 16 Master Trainers-Faculty Professional

Development Programme (MT-FPDP) ,

organized by the Learning Innovation Division,

Higher Education Commission concluded at

HEC Secretariat recently. As many as 28 faculty

members of 21 public sector universities from

across Pakistan participated in the programme.

Dr. Ruquiya Saeed Hashmi, Provincial Minister

for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Balochistan

was the chief guest in the closing ceremony. Dr.

Javaid R. Laghari, Chairperson, HEC was also

present on the occasion.

So far, 469 faculty members have benefitted from

MT-FPDP in 16 batches. This rigorous training

programme, designed specifically for in-service

teachers, includes 11 core modules and

additional sessions on different important social

topics.

The main objective of the training is to enhance

and enrich the teaching abilities of the faculty

members to ensure quality education which is

entirely dependent on the quality of teachers.

The programme aims to enable University

teachers to use innovative teaching strategies and

communication skills that blend academic

concepts with workplace applications. Besides,

the intensive training on different modules, some

general topics were also covered by the resource

persons. Eminent scholars from across Pakistan

th 16 Faculty Professional Development Programme Concludes

conducted various sessions and highlighted

basic features of different modules, including

Teaching as Profession, Academic Planning,

Androgogical Skills, Testing and Evaluation,

Research Methodology and Learner ’s

Psychology.

A d d i t i o n a l s e s s i o n s o n C i t i z e n s h i p ,

Entrepreneurship and Gender Harassment

policy were also arranged to amplify the

exposure of participants. These Master Trainers

will now replicate the similar training in their

respective institutions.

The Divisional Heads of various divisions of

HEC were also invited during the programme as

“Guest of the Day” to brief the participants about

functioning of their Divisions. Recreational and

study trips were also arranged to different

historic places.

Five public sector universities of Pakistan have

formed the country’s first-ever Inter University

Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences,

Arts and Humanities. This was decided in a

Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences

recent meeting attended Vice Chancellors of

Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, University

of Gujrat, Islamia University, Bahawalpur

Institute of Managements Sciences, Peshawar

Commission Events

18

HEC briefed the participants

about the objectives of the

meeting.

The Committee unanimously

selected Prof. Dr. Abdul Sattar

Shakir, Dean, Faculty of Civil

Engineering, University of

Engineering and Technology,

Lahore and Dr. Anwar Khitab,

A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r ,

D e p a r t m e n t o f C i v i l

briefed the participants about

the objectives of the meeting

and elaborated the procedure

for revision of curriculum.

He emphasized on making it

compatible with international

standards while ensuring

uniformity of academic

standard and demand within

the country.

NCRC Reviews Curriculum of Electrical, Electronics, Telecommunication and Computer (System) Engineering

The preliminary meeting of

the National Curriculum

Revis ion Commit tee in

E l e c t r i c a l , E l e c t r o n i c s ,

Te lecommunicat ion and

C o m p u t e r ( S y s t e m )

Engineering recently held at

HEC Regional Centre, Lahore.

Mr. Muhammad Javed Khan,

Adviser (Academics) HEC

The Committee unanimously

selected Prof. Dr. Muhammad

A l i M a u d , C h a i r m a n ,

Department of Computer

Engineering and Information

Technology, UET Lahore and

Dr. Muhammad Inayatullah

B a b a r , D e p a r t m e n t o f

Electrical Engineering, UET

Peshawar as Convener and

Secretary, respectively.

After thorough deliberation,

the Committee unanimously

approved the draft curriculum

o f B E / B S c E l e c t r i c a l

E n g i n e e r i n g w i t h f o u r

specializations which will be

finalized in the final meeting of

NCRC.

Preliminary Meeting of NCRC in Civil EngineeringEngineering, Wah Engineering

College, University of Wah as

Convener and Secretary,

respectively.

After thorough deliberation,

the Committee unanimously

approved the draft curriculum

of BSc Civil Engineering which

will be finalized in the final

meeting of NCRC.

The preliminary meeting of

the National Curriculum

Revision Committee (NCRC)

in Civil Engineering was

recently held at HEC Regional

Centre, Lahore. The purpose

of the meet ing was to

review/revise the curriculum

of Civil Engineering.

M r . M u h a m m a d R a z a

Chohan, Regional Director,

and Government College University, Faisalabad.

The areas of cooperation, under the consortium,

will include faculty development/exchange,

exchange of students and publications, joint

research projects, joint linkages with national and

i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s , j o i n t

seminars/conferences/workshops and other

programmes of mutual interest.

Commission Events

19

A two-day Conference on

Application and Methods of

P h y s i c s w a s r e c e n t l y

organized by the Centre for

Advanced Mathematics and

Physics (CAMP), a constituent

institute of NUST.

The aim of the conference was

to provide a forum where the

new developments occurring

in the domain of Physics could

be discussed. A number of

renowned physicists from the

country's leading universities

“In the wake of rapid urbanization and

industrialization, pollution and scarcity of water

resources are becoming more serious concerns

than ever. To increase sustainability, water must

be used efficiently and multiple times by

cascading from higher to lower quality needs.

This emerging paradigm requires establishing

autonomous and decentralized water recycling

systems in which diverse water resources are

created, conserved and utilized effectively.”

This was the crux of a two-day International

Workshop on Technological Advances and

Challenges in Water Reclamation and Reuse

organized at the School of Civil and

Environmental Engineering (SCEE), National

University of Sciences and Technology (NUST),

NUST Conference on Application and Methods of Physics

participated in the conference.

Students and researchers gave

presentations during the two-

day event.

D r. J a va i d R . L a g h a r i ,

Chairperson HEC, was the

chief guest in the inaugural

session. He termed the

conference a step forward

towards the promotion of

Physics in the country.

He said that the University is

playing a leading role in the

development of science and

technology. He also urged

other universities to conduct

application-based research.

Engr. Muhammad Asghar,

Rector NUST, emphasized the

importance of committed

l e a d e r s h i p a n d t h e

involvement of scientists in

policymaking at a broad level.

He also elaborated on the

rapid progress of NUST as an

integrated research university.

Workshop on Water Reclamation and ReuseIslamabad. Eminent scholars from within and

outside the country attended the event.

Dr. Samar Mubarakmand was the chief guest in

the inaugural session. Addressing the gathering,

he said that the population growth rate in

Pakistan is very high, which has direct impact on

the water sector. He said that industrial and

domestic water, occupying the major portion of

total water demand, could be provided by high

grade reclaimed wastewater using advanced

technology.

Engr. Muhammad Asghar, Rector NUST, said

that Pakistan is rapidly depleting its available

water resources and is on the verge of becoming a

water-scarce country. He said it is imperative that

University News

20

�University of Central Punjab, Lahore t hhas won the 28 Intervarsity

Bodybuilding Championship 2011-12

held recently in Lahore. Pakistan

Bodybuilding Federation Technical

O f f i c i a l s s u p e r v i s e d t h e

Championship, in which 13 teams

from all over the country participated

�HEC boxers won one silver and one

bronze medal in the National Boxing

Championship recently concluded at

Pe s h a wa r. M r. G u l s h e r f r o m

University of Peshawar clinched silver

while Roffus from Sind Agriculture

University, Tandojam won bronze

medals

�Government College University, t hFaisalabad won the 35 HEC

Intervarsity Football Championship

recently held in Faisalabad. University

of Karachi finished runners up

t h�The 29 Intervarsity Wrestling

Championship held at Lahore was

won by University of Central Punjab,

Lahore. Nine teams participated in the

championship, in which University of

the Punjab secured second position

�HEC won one silver and one bronze

medals in the National Beach

Wrestling Championship, held in four

weight categories. Four players of

H E C p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e

Championship

t h�T h e 3 5 Wo m e n B a d m i n t o n

Championship, held at NUST

Islamabad, was won by University of

the Punjab, Lahore. Lahore College for

Women University and Government

College University, Faisalabad

finished second and third, respectively

Intervarsity Sports

The recently held convocation ceremony of the

Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

was a big day for the graduates who studied under the

USAID Funded Merit and Needs-based Scholarship

Programme of HEC.

A total of 36 students funded through this Programme

were awarded degrees on the occasion, who are now in

a position to secure good jobs to support their families.

It is worth mentioning that two of these students won

gold medals, proving the point that many of talented

young people can excel in all fields, if provided

adequate financial support.

The scholarships under this programme are available

in the fields of Agriculture and Business

Administration at 11 participating universities. So far,

1440 scholarships have been awarded.

Scholars of Needs-based Programme Shine at IBA Convocation

we improve efficiency in meeting the challenges

regarding water reclamation and its reuse.

Prof. Roger Ben Aim, the key resource person, said that

membrane processes are regarded as a positive

advancement in wastewater treatment ensuring

increased water reclamation and reuse. “The main

advantages of this technology are no chemical

requirement, relatively low energy consumption and a

lower footprint,” he said.

Other prominent speakers included Prof. C.

Visvanathan, Dr. Parneet Paul, Dr. Nick Hankins, Dr.

Sher Jamal Khan, Dr. Zahir-ud-Din Khan and Dr. Imran

Hashmi.

University News

21

“It is education which matters in building nations

socially, culturally and economically and ensures

better future for their coming generations. At the

same time, it is the conducive environment of

educational institutions which grooms students,

constructs their personalities in making them

good scientists, teachers and leaders in every

walk of life.”

This was stated by Barrister Masood Kausar,

Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while

addressing as the chief guest at the Convocation

2011 of the Gomal University, D. I. Khan. He said

that there is no substitute to education and the

time is not far when our educational institutions

will be in a position to the optimum level in

making this possible in our country too.

In all, 149 graduates of 32 departments of the last

four academic sessions of the University received

gold medals while 21 graduates of Agriculture,

Arts, Pharmacy and Sciences were awarded PhD

degrees on the occasion.

There was a consensus among

the delegates and speakers of

the three-day UN Model

Conference held at Ghulam

Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI)

that Pakistan urgently needed

a result-oriented "social

change".

The conference was organised

by the GIKI Students Society

for the Promotion of Higher

Education in Pakistan .

Among others, it was attended

by Ms. Marvi Memon and

Education Inevitable for Nation Building: Governor KPK

“Frontiers of knowledge keep expanding, what is

new today becomes obsolete next day, hence we

need to keep abreast with latest knowledge

otherwise our diplomas and degrees will become

worthless pieces of paper,” the Governor said.

Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi, Vice Chancellor said

that Gomal University which was established in

1974 is the second oldest and biggest amongst all

the universities of the province.

UN Model Conference Calls for Social Changesenior journalists Syed Talat

Hussain and Javed Iqbal.

Dr. Fazal Ahmad Khalid, Pro-

Rector (Academic) was the

chief guest at the prize

distribution ceremony. He said

that youth are a valuable asset

of Pakistan and they could put

the country on the track of

progress and prosperity.

Mr. Talat Hussain said that the

Middle East like revolution is

neither possible in Pakistan

nor it is our culture. “We need

a social change which is really

felt by the masses. Educated

youth of the country must

come forward to play their

constructive role,” he said.

Marvi Memon said the voters

should be careful in the

selection of the candidates

during the critical election

process and they should give

votes only to those leaders

who could really introduce

reforms for progress and

prosperity of the country.

University News

22

Fundamentalist and H. M.

Naqvi's Home Boy.

The themes which were

mirrored through their

works range from identity,

both personal and political, to

the notion of “constituency,”

or membership in a group,

thThe 6 convocation of the

B e a c o n h o u s e N a t i o n a l

University (BNU), Lahore was

recently held at its Tarogil

Campus. Sardar Muhammad

Latif Khan Khosa, Governor

Punjab, who is also Chancellor

of the University, presided

over the convocation.

M r s . N a s r e e n M a h m u d

Kasuri, Chairperson, BNU

Board of Governors and Mr.

Sartaj Aziz, Vice Chancellor,

were also present on the

occasion. A total of 243

s tudents rece ived their

degrees, out of which 78 were

from the MPhil, MS and

Masters programmes while

165 were from the Bachelor

programmes. A total of 19 gold

th243 Receive Degrees at 6 BNU Convocation

medals were awarded to the

distinction holders.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Chancellor said, “It is not brick

and mortar but the soul within

a scholar that signifies the

academic excellence of an

institution”. In his address, the

Vice Chancellor presented the

annual report of BNU's

a c h i e ve m e n t s . H e a l s o

congratulated the graduating

students and their parents on

this momentous occasion.

Air University Seminar on Pakistani English Literature

fragmented interdependence

and contact zones.

Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, Vice

Chancellor, Fatima Jinnah

University and Dr. Anwar

Ahmad, Chairman, National

Language Authority also

spoke on the occasion.

The Faculty of Social Sciences,

Air University Islamabad

recently organized a two-day

seminar on “Pakistani English

Literature in Local and Global

C o n t e x t ” . D r . D a v i d

Waterman, Universite de La

Rochelle, France and co-editor

of online journal 'Pakistanniat'

was invited as resource

person.

Dr. Waterman dilated upon

the works of four Pakistani

fiction writers including In the

City by the Sea by Kamila

Shamsie, The Wasted Vigil by

Nadeem Aslam, Mohsin

Hamid 's The Reluctant

University News

23

Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Chief

Minister Punjab has linked the national

development with the quality education and

upholding the merit and justice in every

institution. He was addressing a gathering of

students at the University of Agriculture,

Faisalabad (UAF).

He said that during the last 64 years, the culture

of merit had been grossly violated in the country.

Talking about livestock, he said that even India

was earning the foreign exchange by exporting

halal meat. “Although, we were enjoying best

breeds and other factors, but we are lagging

behind,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Government

under the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund

had provided 30,000 scholarships for needy

students across the province. He also announced

that 300 scholars of the UAF would be sent

Turkish Extension Centre will be set up at the

University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) with

the financial assistance of the Turkish

International Cooperation Agency (TICA) in

order to increase meat and milk production as

well as enhancing crops productivity by setting

up seed centre.

In this regard, a delegation of UAF, headed by its

Vice Chancellor Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan visited

Turkey on the invitation of TICA.

The delegation visited different institutions and

held meetings with officials of various

agricultural , veterinary and l ivestock

departments. Besides meeting Dr. Cemal

TALUĞ, Rector, Ankara University, the

delegation visited Agri Business Centre at

Istanbul and held meeting with officials of the

Seed Union. Addressing the participants of a

Seed Conference, Dr. Iqrar informed the

Development Linked to Quality Education: CM

abroad for studying in well–reputed institutions.

He also announced aid of Rs. 70 million for the

UAF to uplift infrastructure and other facilities.

Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, UAF

said that the University has received grants

amounting to Rs. 120 million from the Punjab

government since 2009. “This grant was used for

setting up women complex, women medical

centre, student counselling centre, hostels, green

houses and completion of many other projects,”

he said.

Turkish Extension Centre to be Established at UAF

gathering about the progress being made by

Pakistan in the seed sector and activities of

professionals of Plant Breeding and Genetics.

Other members of the delegation included Dr.

Laique Akbar Lodhi, Dr. Muhammad Sarwar, Dr.

Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, Dr. Rashid Ahmad, Dr.

Muhammad Jalal Arif, Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad

Chatha, Dr. Mahmood Ahmad Randhawa, Dr.

Safdar Ali, Dr. Mehar-un-Nisa and Dr. Ayesha

Siddiqa.

University News

24

The CECOS University of

Information Technology and

Emerging Sciences, Peshawar

recently signed an MOU with

t h e K a n g wo n N a t i o n a l

University (KNU), South

Korea. The MoU was signed by

Dr. Riaz Khattak, Director,

Research and Development/

Quality Assurance, CECOS

University during his visit to

South Korea, where he was

invited as one of the five

international speakers in a

conference jointly organized

by the Korean Society of

Applied Chemistry and

Korean Society of Soils and

Fertilizers.

Dr. Khattak presented a paper

o n T r a c e E l e m e n t s

Contamination of Soil, Plant

a n d F o o d . A f t e r t h e

conference, on the invitation of

KNU, he spent a week at the

campus and delivered a series

of lectures on Environmental

Soil Chemistry and role of soil

scientist in mitigating climate

change.

During his s tay in the

Department of Biological

Environment, the agreement

w a s s i g n e d w i t h t h e

Departments of Regional

Infrastructure Engineering

and Biosystem Engineering for

exchange of students, faculty

and effective cooperation in

R&D.

rdThe 3 six-day International

Conference/Workshop on

Dendrochronology and Plant

Ecology was organized by the

Department of Botany, Federal

Urdu University of Arts,

Science and Technology,

Karachi.

D r . M u d a s s i r A s r a r ,

Chairperson, Pakistan Council

for Science and Technology,

Islamabad was the chief guest

while Dr. Muhammad Qaiser,

Vice Chancellor, FUUAST was

the guest of honour.

A large number of experts and

research students from all over

the country participated in the

The students of Department of

Mass Communication, Lahore

College for Women University

participated in competitions

o r g a n i z e d b y I n s a n

F o u n d a t i o n Tr u s t , i n

partnership with Canadian

International Development

Agency, and won cash prizes

amounting Rs. 1,70,000 in all

five categories of media

products.

Int'l Conference on Dendrochronology & Plant Ecology

conference. Foreign experts

from China, Turkey, Nepal,

America, and New Zealand

also presented their scientific

papers and participated in

workshop sessions.

The conference was mainly

supported by the Higher

Education Commission while

farewell dinner and some

assistance were provided by

the Geol ink (Pvt ) L td .

Australia/Pakistan. Ecological

field trip to terrestrial and

Mangrove ecosystem was

hosted by Port Bin Qasim

Authority. In the end, the

conference made several

recommendations.

LCWU Media

Students Win Prizes

These included television

commercials, public services

messages, documentaries,

radio talk shows and drama

skits. The competitions were

held among the students of

Media Studies Departments of

LCWU, Government College

U n i ve r s i t y, F a i s a l a b a d ,

U n i v e r s i t y o f G u j r a t ,

University of Sargodha and

I s l a m i a U n i v e r s i t y ,

Bahawalpur.

Dr. Sabiha Mansoor, Vice

C h a n c e l l o r , L C W U

congratulated the winners and

Dr. Anjum Zia, Chairperson,

M a s s C o m m u n i c a t i o n

D e p a r t m e n t o n t h e i r

achievement.

CECOS University, KNU Sign MoU

University News

25

A delegation led by Dr. Riaz

Hussain Qureshi, Adviser

(HRD), HEC and Dr. Haroon

Rashid, Director, National

Testing Service, recently met

Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan

Khosa, Governor Punjab.

The delegation comprised 15

Vice Chancellors/Rectors of

public and private higher

education institutions from all

over Punjab as well as

participants and organizers of th4 TOT Workshop on Effective

Tes t I t em Const ruc t ion

Techniques, jointly organized

by HEC and NTS at HEC

Regional Centre Lahore.

Dr. Qureshi briefed the

Governor about various HEC

programmes and initiatives

for promotion of higher

education. Dr. Haroon Rashid

shared the objectives and

background of HEC-NTS

collaboration for launching

Master Trainers Programme in

t h e a r e a o f Te s t I t e m

Construction.

The vice chancellors and

faculty members in their brief

remarks lauded the efforts of

Dr. Umar Saif, Associate

Professor, Lahore University

of Management Sciences

(LUMS) is the first Pakistani to

win the prestigious US$

100 ,000 Google Facul ty

Research Award, for the low-

cost rural telephony systems

he has been working on for the

past three years along with

colleagues at UC Berkeley.

His collaborators on the

research include Eric Brewer,

VP of Infrastructure at Google,

currently on leave from his

w o r k a s P r o f e s s o r o f

Computer Science at UC

Berkeley, Tapan Parikh,

Assistant Professor at the

iSchool at UC Berkeley and

Kurtis Heimerl, a graduate

student working with Dr.

Brewer.

Dr. Saif was also the first

Pakistani to be acknowledged

by the MIT Technology

Review as one of the top 35

innovators (TR35). He was

honoured for his work on

t e c h n o l o g i e s f o r t h e

developing-world which are

being used by millions of

people. Notable among them

are BitMate - that enhances the

speed of Internet in the

developing-world using peer-

to-peer technology, and

SMSall.pk - Pakistan's largest

SMS Social Network .

15 VCs/Rectors of Punjab Call on Governor

HEC in bringing positive

changes and improving

quality in higher education

sector of Pakistan within a

short span of time.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Governor appreciated the joint

efforts of HEC and NTS for thorganizing 4 workshop on

Tes t I t em Const ruc t ion

techniques. He was of the view

that Pakistan's transition to a

middle income economy is

critically dependent on the

scale and performance of its

tertiary education sector.

“The research at universities

should focus on the issues and

problems of direct relevance to

t h e s o c i o e c o n o m i c

development of the country

and build the economy by

p i o n e e r i n g t h e

c o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n o f

innovative ideas, products,

and processes resulting from

research work.

They must also nurture close

relationship with their local

community, industry and

organizations employing their

graduates,” the Governor said.

Dr. Umar Saif - First Pakistani to Receive Google Faculty Research Award

University News

26

The Institute of Space Technology (IST), Karachi

Campus in collaboration with Pakistan Space

and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

(SUPARCO) organized a five-day course on

“Integrating Ground Based Methods and Spatial

Techniques for Environmental Monitoring” at

the National Centre for Remote Sensing and Geo-

Informatics (NCRG), Karachi.

The objective of this course was to impart

training to various stakeholders in an area where

integrated approach utilizing geospatial and

ground based monitoring techniques are

required to address environmental issues.

Different training modules were designed for the

course comprising Environmental Monitoring

and Modelling for Water, Soil and Air.

Recent advances in application of satellite

Remote Sensing (RS) for environmental

monitoring have provided the capacity to

acquire the needful information at spatial and

temporal scales. Through integrating RS data

A M e m o r a n d u m o f

Understanding was recently

signed between the Islamia

University of Bahawalpur

(IUB) and Energy Department,

Government of Punjab.

Under the agreement, the

Punjab Government will

provide a solar energy plant of

2.5 megawatt capacity to the

University. Dr. Muhammad

Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor, IUB

IST Course on Environmental Monitoringwith ground based information, an advanced

approach to study environmental issues is now

possible.

The course was inaugurated by Dr. Badar Ghauri,

Head of Department, RS and GIS, IST. A number

of participants hailing from different Islamic

countries, students from local universities, and

environmental professionals from various

organizations including Sindh Environmental

Protection Agency (SEPA) and National Institute

for Oceanography (NIO) participated in the

course.

Mr. Mahboob Elahi, National Programme

Manager of National Environmental Information

Management Systems (NEIMS), was invited as a

guest speaker to talk about the environmental

profile of Pakistan.

Another guest speaker and renowned

environmentalist Mr. Shahid Lufti identified

environmental problems of Pakistan and their

possible solutions.

Punjab Government to Provide Solar Energy Plant to IUB

a n d M r . R a b N a w a z ,

Provincial Secretary, Energy

Department signed the MoU.

The project is expected to be

completed in a year time.

The electricity produced by

the plant will be consumed by

IUB and the surplus electricity

will be provided to the local

community through national

power grid.

Paper Presentation

Dr. Rao Muhammad Afzal

Khan, Director, Advanced

Studies and Research, IUB

attended the Korean Congress

of Radiology (KCR 2011) at

Seoul and presented his paper

on “Brain imaging by using

magnetic transfer contrast-a

better approach”.

Scientists and researchers

from all over the world

working on different areas of

r a d i o l o g y a n d m e d i c a l

imaging attended the event

University News

27

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA),

Karachi launched the National Talent Hunt

Programme (NTHP) in 2004 with the objective to

prepare candidates from less privileged areas of

the country for the IBA aptitude test for BBA/BS

degree courses. IHSAN Trust collaborated with

IBA to jointly finance the fully funded NTHP. In

2009, a similar initiative, Sindh Talent Hunt

Programme (STHP) was launched. Focusing on

talented students from the rural areas of Sindh,

STHP is a fully funded programme jointly

financed by IBA Karachi and the Government of

Sindh.

Both the programmes are expanding constantly

and are providing opportunities to meritorious

youth from Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and FATA, who

Karakuram International

University (KIU), Gilgit and

the University of Bonn will

cooperate in research and

teaching on regional topics of

Hindukush, Karakoram and

Himalayan region.

Summer schools will be

organized at KIU with the help

of the Geography Department

Mr. Shuja Ahmad has successfully completed his

PhD in Philosophy from the University of thPeshawar. He is currently teaching Logic and 20

Century Philosophy.

His research topic was “Language and Logic of

War with Special Reference to War on Terror in

Afghanistan: Appearance and Reality”. Dr. Shuja

completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof.

IBA National and Sindh Talent Hunt Programme: A Success Storyare then able to become successful business

leaders of Pakistan and serve the nation. This

year, 21 NTHP and STHP students were enrolled

in the BCS and BBA programmes of the Institute.

The achievements and career pursuits of NTHP/

STHP graduates have been prolific. Akash

Soomro, a student of NTHP batch-2004, is

currently working for Philip Morris Pakistan as a

Financial Analyst. Hira Jawed, NTHP batch-2005,

passed level-I of the Chartered Financial Analyst

(CFA) Programme and is presently working with

Meezan Bank Limited as a Relationship Manager.

Mir Yahya Ismail, NTHP batch-2006, cleared the

highly sophisticated Energy Risk Professional

Exam conducted by Global Association of Risk

Professionals, USA and has the honour of being

the youngest ERP certified in the world.

KIU, University of Bonn Sign MoUof Bonn University. A three-

year programme “Reading the

Landscape” will also be

launched with the financial

support of DAAD.

In this regard, a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) was

recently signed by Dr. Najma

Najam, Vice Chancellor, KIU

and Dr. M. Winiger, former

Rector of Bonn University on

behalf of the Geography

D e p a r t m e n t . T h e M o U

envisages to strengthen

activities of KIU with the

H i m a l a y a n U n i v e r s i t y

Consortium (HUC) through

o r g a n i z i n g t r a i n i n g

programmes for faculty and

students of KIU at ICIMOD, as

well as organizing summer

schools and data exchange.

Shuja Ahmad Completes PhD in PhilosophyDr. Sarfaraz Khan, Director,

Area Study Centre, Peshawar.

His research thesis was

reviewed by two foreign

experts, including Prof. Peter

S . F o s l , Tr a n s y l v a n i a

University, USA and Dr. Ismaeel Latif

Hacinebioglu, Trinity Saint David, University of

Wales, UK.

University News

28

A one-day symposium on “Nanotechnology:

Applications, Fabrication and characterization”

was recently organized by the Jinnah University

for Women (JUW), Karachi. Dr. Shahzad A. Khan

from DeVry University, USA was the keynote

speaker.

In his opening lecture, Dr. Abdul Qadeer of the

Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and

Technology, Karachi talked about the prospects

and implications of Nanotechnology. He said

that third world countries are only users of

technologies and not developers, because of lack

of awareness, resources and expertise.

The affiliation of the Kohat

Institute of Medical Sciences

(KIMS) has been shifted from

Kohat University of Science

and Technology (KUST) to the

Khyber Medical University

(KMU), Peshawar.

In this regard, a signing

c e r e m o n y wa s h e l d a t

Governor House, Peshawar

recently. Dr. Mohammad

Hafizullah, Vice Chancellor,

KMU and Dr. Nasir Jamal

Khattak, Vice Chancellor,

KIMS Becomes a Constituent Institute of KMU

KUST signed the transfer

deeds.

Barrister Masood Kausar,

Governor KPK, presided over

the ceremony. Syed Zahir Ali

Shah, Provincial Minister for

Health, Qazi Mohamamd

Asad, Minister for Higher

Education and provincial

secretaries of the respective

departments were also present

on the occasion. Speaking on

the occasion, the Governor

said that improvement in the

quality of education is the best

way to improve life standards

of people. He expressed

confidence that this transfer

will prove beneficial for the

achievement of desired goals.

New Course

Meanwhile, KMU is also

launching a new course,

Masters in Health Research

(MHR), in January 2012.

The course is a mix of

interactive lectures, group

tutorials, hands on workshops

and distance learning, and is

primarily aimed at the health

professionals.

It will encompass the subjects

of Quantitative Research,

Q u a l i t a t i v e R e s e a r c h ,

B i o s t a t i s t i c s , H e a l t h

E c o n o m i c s , R e s e a r c h

C o m m u n i c a t i o n , a n d

Dissemination and Research

Management.

In his talk entitled “Nanotechnology: An

Overview and Applications”, Dr. Khan focused

on industrial, electronics and information

technology revolutions using Nanotechnology,

and discussed the impact of nanotechnology on

social and ethical issues like food and health.

He also discussed the impact of nanotechnology

on economics, indicating that over 800 products

are already in the market, which are related to

pharmacy, cosmetics, sports, textile, optical

engineering, drug design, nano biotechnology,

etc.

JUW Symposium on Nanotechnology

University News

29

The Anti-Plagiarism Unit at the Faculty of

Q u a l i t y E n h a n c e m e n t , R e s e a r c h a n d

Publications, National University of Modern

Languages (NUML) held a series of training

sessions and workshops for instructors and

students on Turnitin use.

Mr. Adnan Rashid, Focal Person for Anti-

Plagiarism at NUML conducted these sessions.

The purpose was to implement the Plagiarism

Policy across all departments and facilitate

instructors in effective Turnitin use. In this

regard, a day-long Turnitin orientation session

for instructors of MPhil classes was organized,

which aimed at highlighting NUML’s Plagiarism

The Riphah International University, Islamabad

held its sixth convocation recently. Renowned

scientist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand was the chief

guest on the occasion. Over 1000 graduates and

postgraduates of the University were awarded

degrees in various disciplines, including Health

and Medical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences,

Management Sciences, Engineering and Applied

Sciences and Computer Sciences.

In his address, Dr. Mubarakmand said Pakistan is

a country endowed with vast resources. “In order

to break the shackles of poverty, we have to divert

our brilliant human resource to the fruitful

exploitation of our immense mineral wealth,” he

added.

He urged the private sector to invest monetarily

in these ventures while the intellectual input has

to be forthcoming from the universities and

Anti-Plagiarism Sessions held at NUMLPolicy and giving hands-on practice to

instructors in using Turnitin. It was attended by

20 MPhil instructors from various disciplines.

Similarly, a two-day session entitled “How not to

Plagiarize” was carried out for MPhil students.

Besides a briefing on the Plagiarism Policy, the

session addressed common confusions about

plagiarism, referencing styles, etc. Different

aspects of Turnitin document processing were

demonstrated to acquaint students with the

mechanism. Furthermore, a similar session was

held for departmental focal persons, which was

attended by 11 representatives of various

departments.

th6 Convocation of Riphah University

research institutions of the country. “With a

single minded focus on this vision, there is no

reason why the economy of the nation will not

take a giant leap forward”, he added. Mr. Hassan

M. Khan, Pro-Chancellor, Riphah University and

Dr. Anis Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, also spoke on

the occasion.

The Quality Enhancement Cell, Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET), Karachi

organized an eight-day workshop under the Faculty Professional Development Programme. A number

of senior and junior faculty members attended the workshop.

NEWS FLASH

University News

30

A four-day Electronic Media

Workshop was organized by

the Department of Media

Studies, Shah Abdul Latif

University (SALU), Khairpur

in collaboration with the

Women Media Centre (WMC),

Karachi and the National

Endowment for Democracy,

USA.

T h e wo r k s h o p e n t i t l e d

“Combating Extremism and

Promoting Tolerance through

D e m o c r a t i c M e a n s a n d

Teachings of Sufis” was

attended by students, teachers

and media persons from radio

and television.

D i f f e r e n t s c h o l a r s ,

intellectuals, writers and

journalists delivered lectures

and highlighted the role of

Sufis and their message

Students of the University Law College,

Balochistan won the top honours at the

International Moot Court competition for law

students of India and Pakistan recently held in

New Delhi.

The subject was the vexed issue of Kashmir and

every aspect of the dispute that has bogged the

two countries down in hostility was looked at

purely from a legal point of view. Issues that

came up for discussion included rights of

migrants, legality of the treaty of accession and

UN resolutions on Kashmir.

The team, one of the five Pakistani competing

teams, comprised Ayesha Bibi, Asmatullah

Electronic Media Training Workshop at SALU

against extremism, terrorism

and intolerance.

Ms. Fozia Shaheen, CEO,

WMC said that the Centre has

been active in teaching

students about the electronic

media skills in different

u n i v e r s i t i e s . D r . T a j

Mohammad Lashari, Media

Coordinator, SALU said that

Sufis have spread peace and

tolerance through their

character and writings. He

said being a journalist one

should have tolerance in his

character and should not react

negatively to minor things in

professional and daily life.

The students were taught basic

techniques of script writing

and voice over in television

news package, besides camera

h a n d l i n g a n d s h o o t i n g

techniques.

Students were divided into

two groups and assigned to

write script of packages on

Sufis Sachal Sarmast and

Adham Sultan. Students wrote

script and went to sites of

assigned topics for packages.

Balochistan Team Wins Moot Court CompetitionKakar and Arbab Muhammad Amjad. The other

four teams represented the International Islamic

University, Islamabad, Lahore University of

Management Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali

Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology,

Karachi and the University of Azad Jammu and

Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.

Ten Indian teams participated in the moot court

that was organised by the National Law

University of Delhi in collaboration with the

Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR).

The panel of judges for the final round included

sitting and retired judges from India and

Pakistan.

University News

31

A three-day workshop on

Professional Training of

Faculty was held at Preston

University, Peshawar. Its Vice

Chancellor, Dr. Mohammad

Anwar Hassan inaugurated

the event. The workshop was

organized by Prof. Dr. Alay

Ahmad, Dean, Faculty of

KOICA Alumni Association

Pakistan (KAAP) recently

organized a seminar on

“ K o r e a n E c o n o m i c

Development: Lessons for

Pakis tan” at the NUST

Business School.

Mr. Choongjoo Choi, Korean

Ambassador to Pakistan

graced the occasion as the chief

guest.

Faculty Training Workshop at Preston University, Peshawar

Social Sciences, Preston

University, Peshawar and

Kohat Campuses for the

faculty members of both the

campuses.

Dr. Alay Ahmad gave two

lectures on “Introducing New

Material” and “Basics of

Research”. He explained

v a r i o u s v a r i a b l e s e . g .

exposi tory instruct ions ,

discovery learning, mastery

learning and computer-based

instructions.

Dr. Wazim Ahmad Khan,

former Director, University of

Peshawar spoke on “Guidance

and Counselling-Classroom

Climate”. Col. (R) Zafar Gul,

Programme Director, Preston

University, Kohat Campus

spoke on “Methods and

Techniques of Teaching at

University Level”. Dr. Shazia

K h a l i d , D e p a r t m e n t o f

P s y c h o l o g y , P r e s t o n

U n i v e r s i t y, I s l a m a b a d

discussed the role of verbal

a n d n o n - v e r b a l

communications.

Seminar on Korean Economic Development: Lessons for Pakistan

The technical session of the

seminar focused on aspects

like rapid industrialization

and economic development of

Korea. The seminar was

attended by academicians,

government officials, people

from the private sector and

students.

D r. M . A s h r a f M o t e n ,

President KAAP said that the

Association is a Pakistan

C h a p t e r o f K o r e a n

International Cooperation

Agency (KOICA) and, since its

inception in 2003, has been

a c t i v e l y e n g a g e d i n

s t r e n g t h e n i n g f r i e n d l y

relations and cultural bond

between Korean and Pakistani

people.

Engr. Muhammad Asghar,

Rector NUST lauded KAAP

for taking steps to strengthen

ties between the two countries.

University News

The Higher Education Commission has placed Prof. Dr. Aftab Kazi as HEC Foreign Professor at Quaid-

i-Azam University. He has joined the Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America. Dr. Kazi

is a senior fellow of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Programme, School of

Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. He received his

PhD degree in International and Peace Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983.

NEWS FLASH

32

SZABIST Model United Nations (ZABMUN)

Conference 2011 was recently organized by the

students of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute

of Science and Technology, Karachi. Over 600

delegates from more than 100 educational

institutions participated in the conference, which

was entitled “Unite the Present, Challenge the

Future”.

Ms. Elizabeth Bucher, Acting Consul General of

Switzerland, was the chief guest in the opening

ceremony while Air Vice Marshal (R) Dr. Abid

Rao was the keynote speaker. Dr. Saqib Rizavi,

President SZABIST, was also present on the

occasion.

The conference discussed and explored the

contemporary global issues allowing delegates to

collaboratively propose solutions. Institute of

Business Administration (IBA) Karachi was the

winning delegation, representing delegation

from India. Apart from the Conference, students

The University of Faisalabad (TUF) and the

University Medical and Dental College (UMDC),

Faisalabad marked the World Diabetes Day to

raise public awareness about diabetes. A seminar

was arranged on the occasion, followed by a rally.

Speaking during the seminar, Dr. Irshad ul Haq,

Principal UMDC said that unbalanced diet, rapid

increase in population and lack of exercise are the

main causes of diabetes. He said that Madina

Teaching Hospital is providing free medical

treatment to diabetic patients. Dr. Ehsan ul Haq,

Head, Medical Education Department said that

creating awareness amongst the common people,

proper screening tests and use of balanced diet

are necessary steps to check and control diabetes.

Dr. Zahid Masood, Head, Community Medicine

Department disclosed that 12 per cent of

Pakistan's population is suffering from this

disease.

Mr. Muhammad Shahbaz,

Lecturer, Department of

I n d u s t r i a l M a n a g e m e n t ,

G o v e r n m e n t C o l l e g e

U n i v e r s i t y, F a i s a l a b a d thpresented a paper in the 5

International MYSEC2011

Conference organized by the University of

Technology, Malaysia.

Scholars from 13 countries participated in the

conference. The aim of his research entitled

“Assessment of Knowledge Ability Towards

Decision-Making in Information Systems from

Managers Perspective” is to evaluate the

decision-making capabilities in the in-housed

developed information systems in Pakistan and

to evaluate efficiency of financial application in

information systems from manager’s perspective

in textile industry.

SZABIST Hosts ZABMUN Conference 2011

were entertained with daily social nights which

provided them the opportunity for cultural

interaction.

Mr. Iqbal Haider, Former Law Minister was the

chief guest in the closing ceremony while Mr.

Syed Nawab, Regional Head, UNDP GENPROM

was the keynote speaker. Dr. Amanat Jalbani,

Vice President SZABIST, also addressed the

delegates.

World Diabetes Day at TUF NEWS FLASH

University News

33

A three-day international conference on

“Historiography on South Asia” was organized

by the Department of History, Quaid-i-Azam

University (QAU) Islamabad, in collaboration

with the Hanns Seidel Foundation and HEC. The

Department of History, QAU is among 13

departments selected by HEC under the project

“Development and Strengthening of Selected

Social Sciences Departments.”

Addressing the inaugural session, Mr. Qamar

Zaman Kaira, former Information Minister said

that one of the most positive things about QAU is

its patronization of creativity, freedom of thought

and expression, which reflects immensely in the

form of its quality research. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai,

International History Conference at QAU

The Centre for Civic Education, in collaboration

with HEC, organized a National Essay Writing

Competition entitled “What does federalism

mean to me?” The purpose was to explore and

examine the way Pakistani youth relate to

federalism in Pakistan. Sixty two students from 35

universit ies and postgraduate colleges

participated in the competition. HEC conducted

facilitated plagiarism test of all the essays.

The first prize was clinched by Zahra Abidi of the

Institute of Professional Psychology, Bahria

University, Karachi. Muhammad Zubair Khan

from National College of Business Administration

and Economic, Lahore won second while Alia Bibi

of the Fatima Jinnah Women University,

Rawalpindi finished third.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has

been signed between the Culture Department,

Government of Sindh and the Centre of Excellence

in Art and Design, Mehran University of

Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro

to provide six-month training to 200 youth of

Sindh in various fields of performing arts

including vocal music, instrumental music and

folk dance.

Mr. Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Secretary, Culture

Department and Prof. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan

Rajput, Vice Chancellor, MUET signed the MoU.

The main objective of the certificate course is to

provide opportunity to those interested youth

who, after getting training, can potentially utilize

their skills as well as promote the culture.

Vice Chancellor, QAU said the event is unique and

timely in the sense that Pakistan is going through

one of its toughest phases of history, facing

domestic, regional and international challenges.

The conference was divided into three broad sub

themes that ranged between ancient, medieval

and modern or contemporary historiography. Dr.

Aslam Syed, Professor of Islamic Studies, School

for Asian and African Studies, Humboldt

University, Berlin was the keynote speaker. The

concluding session was addressed by Dr. Nasser

Ali Khan, Chairman, National Committee on

Development of Social Sciences and Dr.

Muhammad Nizamuddin, Vice Chancellor,

University of Gujrat.

MUET, Sindh Culture Department Sign MoU

Essay Writing Competition on Federalism

University News

34

The ninth convocation of the

University of Azad Jammu

and Kashmir was recently held

a t i t s C i t y C a m p u s i n

Muzaffarabad, where 3512

graduat ing s tudents o f

MA/MSc, BA/BSc/BED, MSc

Agriculture, BSc Agriculture,

M S c E n g i n e e r i n g , B S c

Engineering, BS Geology, BSc

Home Economics, BBA, MBA,

MCom/MPA, BFA, BSEd and

BCom were awarded degrees.

As many as 40 students were

decorated with gold medals.

W h i l e a d d r e s s i n g t h e

c o n v o c a t i o n , S a r d a r

Muhammad Yaqoob Khan,

President AJ&K/Chancellor

University said, “If we really

want to make progress, we will

Mr. Azeem Mehmood Butt, a PhD scholar at the National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology,

University of the Punjab, Lahore has published seven research articles, during first year of his study, in

HEC recognized journals with impact factors.

Among these, he is the first author for five articles and co-author for two articles. Also, five of these

research articles have been published in collaboration with the Beijing Microbiology Institute, China.

thAJK University Holds 9 Convocation

have to increase the number of

institutions of higher learning,

while ensuring quality of

education.”

He informed the audience that

the Prime Minister of Pakistan

has announced the up-

gradation of Rawalakot

Campus of the University to a

full-fledged University.

“The Prime Minister has also

announced the establishment

of an IT University at Kotli

which will also be established

in near future,” he added.

The President AJ&K urged the

University administration to

c o n s i d e r r e s o u r c e

diversification as it cannot

develop unless some alternate

f u n d i n g r e s o u r c e s a r e

explored. “Nevertheless,

while doing so, the University

should take into account

i n t e r e s t s o f a l l t h e

stakeholders,” he said.

Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman, Vice

Chancellor, University of

A J & K s a i d t h a t t h e

construction of King Abdullah

Campus at Muzaffarabad has

been started by a Korean

company while funding for

Rawalakot Campus has also

been arranged with the active

support and efforts of the

President AJ&K.

“Over 30 faculty members

have been sent abroad on

scholarships for higher studies

in different disciplines.

Five of them have already

returned and joined the

University. After 2-3 years, on

return of remaining scholars,

the quality of faculty would be

greatly enhanced.

Similarly 15 faculty members

have completed their PhD and

27 their MPhil studies in

Pakistan,” he said.

NEWS FLASH

University News

35

A workshop on Family Therapy

was recently organised by the

I n s t i t u t e o f C l i n i c a l

Psychology, University of

Karachi, keeping in view its

clients who are stuck in an

interwoven web of problems

that extend not only to

themselves but to their

families, friends and loved

ones. The families of the clients

were involved to be well

equipped to resolve issues.

Ms. Saadia Parvez, a Board

Cert i f ied Art therapist /

Supervisor, conducted the

workshop. She began with a

brief introduction about

family dynamics and the art of

ident i fy ing the c l ient ' s

presenting problem.

During an interactive session

Ms. Saadia highlighted the

boundar ies and e th ica l

concerns in family practice

and what kind of practical

problems are pertinent to our

Pakistani culture.

She elaborated on therapy

interventions for trauma

a b u s e a n d v i o l e n c e i n

relevance to the concerns that

families of the victim need to

be aware of.

A practical demonstration of

family therapy was provided

by selecting some socially

relevant issues of a disruptive

family that students may often

encounter in clinical settings.

The University of Peshawar

(UoP) convocation for 2010

was held recently. Barrister

Masood Kausar, Governor,

K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a

awarded degrees to 511

postgraduate students of 42

disciplines as well as one

MPhil and eight PhD scholars.

Twenty six gold medals were

distributed among students

with distinctions.

In his address, the Governor

said that receiving a degree is

not the end for a student but

actually beginning of the

A national level training on

“GIS/GPS Application in

Epidemiology of Human and

Animal Diseases and in

Biological Science Research”

was jointly organized by the

U n i v e r s i t y D i a g n o s t i c

Laboratory (UDL), University

of Veterinary and Animal

Sciences, Government College

University and Livestock and

D i a r y D e v e l o p m e n t

Department, Lahore.

The training was part of the

USA funded collaborative

research project “Spatial

Ecology and Epidemiology of

Soil Borne Human and Animal

Bacterial Pathogens and its

Public Health Significance in

Pakistan” between PennState

Workshop on Family Therapy

Over 500 Students Receive Degrees at UoP Convocation

pract ical appl icat ion of

knowledge. He appreciated

the efforts of the University

management for promoting

quality education.

About the financial constraints

confronting higher education

institutions, he said that it is a

serious problem which can be

dealt with by the joint efforts of

all the stakeholders. “The only

indicator on which Pakistan`s

Global Competitiveness Index

has improved is higher

education,” he said.

GIS/GPS Training at UVASUniversity, USA and UDL,

involving multidisciplinary

subjects and other prestigious

institutes in Pakistan.

The training involved a series

of lectures and training

sessions on various aspects of

epidemiology of diseases and

use of GIS/GPS in reporting

the results in the form of maps.

The participants were trained

on GIS/GPS evolution, GIS

Data Model, Remote Sensing,

Spatial Mapping, Digital

Mapping / Georeferencing,

Map Design and Layouts,

Working and Application of

GPS, GPS Survey (field work),

Application of GIS in Arts,

Social Sciences, Natural

Sciences, and Technologies.

University News

36