EDITOR: SHABBIR SARWAR | AUGUST, 2019 | ISSUE 08 | VOLUME 15 Price: Rs. 50 | Pages: 12 | www.educationist.com.pk | facebook.com/TheEducationistPK

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Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Dr. Shafiq Jullandhry

Executive Editor: Dr. Mujahid Mansoori

President Arif Alvichairs KIU 9th Convocation

“My religion is humanitarianism,which is the basis of everyreligion in the world.”

Five Quotes of Edhi

PU improves ranking;rule of law, transparency,merit ensured

Premiere Education Newspaper of Pakistan LAHORE

insiDehigher edUcation needSoverhaUl: d. nizaMUddin

MONTHLY

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phec focUS on qUality, SayS dr. fazal Khalid

UoBS proMoteS localpotential: dr naeeM Khan

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By M. Sharif rana

Despite of claims of promoting higher education in pakistan, ptigovt has reduced education budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 upto 20 percent as compared to HeC budget for the year 2018-19.Only 28.64 billion have been allocated for Higher education

Commission (HeC) under the public sector Development program(psDp) for 2019-20 against 35.830 billion in 2018-19 which was laterrevised downward to Rs 30.961 billion. “For development budget, HeChad demanded Rs 59 billion but the government approved only Rs 28billion,” said the HeC chairman in a press conference.

For the fiscal year 2019-20, out of total amount allocated for HeC,around 24,887 million will be spent on ongoing schemes, while 4160million will be used for new projects. While in the year 2017-18, out of35.662 billion allocated for HeC, 9188.651 million were spent on newschemes and 26474.150 for new projects.

Among ongoing schemes, Rs170 million have been allocated forCentre for Mathematical science (CMs) at pieAs islamabad, 229million for development of Fatima Jinnah Women University,Campus-ii (phase-2) Chakri Road Rawalpindi, 350 million forenhancement of research facilities at UVAs, pattoki campus in thecurrent fiscal year. Rs 800 million rupees have been allocated forestablishment of sub-Campus of public sector Universities at districtlevel. the government has also allocated 150 million for up gradationof universities of underdeveloped areas.

in scholarships, Rs 350 million have also been kept for the scholarsreturning after completion of their phDs, while Rs 520 million forFulbright scholarship support program HeC-UsAiD.

Govt cuts HeC budget by 20%

Uo to offer 57 degrees from fall 2019University of okara

oKaRa: in the admissions Fall 2019, the univer-sity of okara will be offering 57 degree pro-grams under 6 faculties including Faculty ofSciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty ofManagement & Social Sciences, Faculty ofHealth Sciences, Faculty of education and Fac-ulty of Computer Sciences.

Vice Chancellor prof. dr. Zakria Zakar hassaid, “university essence is a combination of threefactors - spirit, intelligence and energy of the staff.a university is a space of high concentration of ad-vanced intellect, saturated with the spirit and en-

ergy of the cognition and transformation of newideas into the society. the spirit, in application tothe essence of a university, refers to the internalstrength, attitude, focus of staff on free cognitionand creativity; so that there is aspiration, convic-tion and self-confidence.”

dr. Zakar said that the intelligence is under-stood as a general ability of sense perception,thinking, imagination of new concepts and ideas.energy acts as activity in understanding the real-ity of the new generation

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WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 201902 | IN FOCUS

By Bilal naveed

LAHORE: the punjab Higher educationDepartment has invited applications for thepost of vice chancellors in six universities ofthe province including two generaluniversities, two women universities and twospecialized varsities. the general universitiesincluded Government College UniversityLahore and University of education, twospecialized universities, informationtechnology University Lahore and KhawajaFareed University of engineering &information technology, Rahim Yaar Khanwhile two women universities Governmentsadiq College Women University ofBahawalpur and Fatima Jinnah WomenUniversity Rawalpindi. Deadline to submitapplications is Friday July 26, 2019.

the applicants (of any gender) must not bemore than sixty-Five (65) years of age on thelast date fixed for submission of applications.According to the criteria of punjab HeDcandidates who get minimum 75% marks in

qualification will be shortlisted forinterview and in total points 50% pointsof interview and 50% points ofqualification will be included.

According to the qualification criteria ofgeneral and women universities 35 markswill be given to phD from the top 100 QsRanked Universities of the World, 33from the top 101-300 Qs RankedUniversities of the World, 31 from the top301-500 Qs Ranked Universities of theWorld and 29 from an HeC recognized orUNesCO listed institution.

For specialized universities 31 pointsfor phD from the top 100 Qs RankedUniversities of the World, 29 pointsfrom the top 101-300 Qs RankedUniversities of the World, 27 pointsfrom the top 301-500 Qs RankedUniversities of the World, 25 pointsfrom an HeC recognized or UNesCOlisted institution and 04 points in the relevantfield of the University.

As per the criteria of it University 31

points will be given to phD from the top 100Qs Ranked Universities of the World 29points from the top 101-300 Qs Ranked

Universities of the World, 27 points from thetop 301-500 Qs Ranked Universities of theWorld, 25 points from an HeC recognized orUNesCO listed institution and 04 points forphD in the relevant field of the University.

3 points for every year in a full-timesenior leadership position (e.g. VC, pro VC,Dean or equivalent position), 2 points forevery year as Chairmen/ HoD / Director ofUniversity Department / Center, Registrar,treasurer, Controller of examinations,principal of a constituent college, universityprofessor or equivalent position, 3 pointsfor every year in a full-time seniorleadership such as CeO, DG or equivalentfirst tier position and 2 points for every yearas Director or equivalent 2nd tier position.

For publications 2 points per researcharticle / publication / conferenceproceeding in peer reviewed journals /conference proceedings listed in isi Webof science, sCOpUs or HeC recognizedforeign and local journals, 2 points perBook Chapter and 4 points per Bookpublished by international academicpublishers of repute, listed on the seNseranking of academic publishers and

books recognized by HeC and 2 points perpatent listed by World international propertyOrganization (WipO). g

six varsities need vCs

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 2019 SUPPLEMENT | 03

oKaRa: university of okara Vice Chancellorprof dr. Zakria Zakar has siad, “universityessence is a combination of three factors -spirit, intelligence and energy of the staff. auniversity is a space of high concentration ofadvanced intellect, saturated with the spiritand energy of the cognition andtransformation of new ideas into thesociety. the spirit, in application to theessence of a university, refers to the internalstrength, attitude, focus of staff on freecognition and creativity; so that there isaspiration, conviction and self-confidence.the intelligence is understood as a generalability of sense perception, thinking,imagination of new concepts and ideas.

energy acts as activity in understanding thereality of the new generation and theimplementation of the results with pace andpassion. the university of okara’s administration hasthe spirit, the intelligence and the energy toperk up the standard and status of highereducation in the region of the Centralpunjab. despite limited resources andbudgetary constraints, we haveaccomplished record and remarkabledevelopments within a few months. threenew academic blocks are near completion.this will add a total of 70 thousand squarefeet of well-equipped and furnished area tothe campus. Moreover, avant-garderecreational facilities are also being built. along with the infrastructuraldevelopments, the uo administration iskeen about the academic improvisation. theQuality enhancement Cell (QeC) has beentasked to evaluate the teaching mechanismand quality of the faculty members. thestudents have easy access to the ViceChancellor Secretariat. they are appreciatedand encouraged to share feedback aboutthe academic environment. new teachersare being recruited in all disciplines throughsheer transparency and meritocracy.

the uo is all set to unleash the Fall 2019admissions drive. this time, we are offeringabout 60 degree programs of BS, MSc., MSand phd. Levels in 6 faculties. all of thedegree programs of the university of okaraare duly recognized by the Higher education

Commission (HeC). the infrastructural developments beside thecapacity building of the existing andupcoming faculty and staff will eventuallylead the university of okara to achieve itsmuch-cherished essence in true sense.”

on path of racking up true higher education essence

Report: Sharjeel ahmed

prof. dr. Muhammad Zakria ZakarVice Chancellor, university of okara(presidential pride of performance)

“great works are performed not by strength but byperseverance”

University of okara:

the extension of 3 academic blocks is underway at the uo

the 3d design of the markets that are going to be built at uo

the art Competition organized by the Rejoicers’ Club

it is said that money can do marvels but the real marvels are performed by people – theresilient and responsible people. the university of okara’s engineering Cell is leaving no stoneunturned to implement the voice and vision of the Vice Chancellor who has taken up the uphilltask of improvising the university both in terms of infrastructure and academic excellence. the parallel construction of three new academic blocks is underway. this will cover anestimated area of 70,000 square feet, containing lecture theaters, seminar rooms, conferencerooms, offices and laboratories. the foundation stone of these blocks was put by theprovincial Minister for Higher education, Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz.

a full-fledged sports complex covering an area of about 25 acres is also going to be developed. thecomplex will have a Badminton Court of 7,200 square feet, a Basketball Court of 6,600 square feet, atennis Court of 5,000 square feet and grounds for outdoor games. the landscaping of the exotic LowerBari doab Canal is also being done in order to provide an exquisite view at the entrance of the campus.

Uo to offer 57 degree programs from fall 2019in the admissions Fall 2019, the university of okara will be offering 57 degree programs under 6faculties including Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Management & SocialSciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of education and Faculty of Computer Sciences. the departments include department of Chemistry, department of Mathematics, department ofphysics, department of Statistics, department of Botany, department of environmental Sciences,department of Biology, department of Zoology, department of Molecular Biology, department ofgenetics, department of Food Sciences & technology, department of Biotechnology, departmentof Microbiology and Molecular genetics, department of Bioinformatics, department of plantpathology, department of Bio Chemistry, department of Fine arts, department of Commerce, de-partment of economics, department of urdu, department of islamic Studies, department of eng-lish, department of tourism & Hospitality Management, department of political Sciences,department of international Relations, department of Social Work, department of ManagementSciences, department of anthropology, department of Criminology, department of Communica-tion Studies, School of Law, department of public Health, department of teacher education, de-partment of educational Research & assessment, department of Special education, departmentof Sports Science & physical education and department of Computer Science. all of the uo’s faculties, institutes and departments are duly approved by the uo academicCouncil and the uo Syndicate while all of the degree programs are formally recognized by theHigher education Commission (HeC).

provincial Higher education Minister, Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz is inaugurating the academic blocks

the 1978 feet long road that connects the main campus with the doMS

a 1978 feet long carpet road connecting the main campus to the department of ManagementSciences (doMS) has already been completed. on the road side and at the mid of the mainbuilding and the doMS, a vintage-styled cafeteria will be built and on both sides of the road,lush parks and lavish playgrounds will be carved out, covering an area of almost 25 acres. thepurpose of this development is to uplift the night life of the campus. the locals will bewelcomed there to play, sit, eat and interact with the students, staff and teachers of thisuniversity, because the Vice Chancellor believes that the great history of the great nationsrises out of diverse interactions and discourses.

in order to provide the uo students, staff and residents all necessities at home, three marketswith six shops are being built at three different points in the university. the markets will havefood courts, grocery stores, stationary shops, laundry corners and so on.

Student societies enthrall UoFor the very first time since its inception, the university of okara has seen the formation of stu-dent societies which are actively and enthusiastically working to engage the students in variousco-curricular and extra-curricular activities. the societies including the Rejoicers’ Club, the MediaSociety, the environment Watch Society, the YeS Community and the Character Building Soci-ety have complete patronage of the Vice Chancellor who always encourages students’ participation and engagement at all levels.

the university of okara has advertised faculty positions in various existing and upcoming disci-plines. the Vice Chancellor dr. Zakar aims to bring in the best available talent to the university.all the hiring is being made on merit by involving the renowned academicians and bureaucrats.

Uo hiring new faculty

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 201904 | EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief

prof. dr. Shafiq JullandhryExecutive Editor

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News Editor: Khalid Shahzad Farooqui Resident Editor Boston (USA): Syed Qasim RazaResident Editor Germany: Muhammad ittefaq

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sUCCessiVe governments remained unable to ensuregood governance in the public sector schools andcolleges allowing the private investors to flourish andmake money in the name of education.

Resultantly, academies have established a culture offormula education with selective study and special focus onthe training of appearing in exams to score good. Knowledgedissemination and moral training are other affected parts,not to be discussed much.

Academy mafia has built its empire and chain of schoolsand colleges, while the true base of the country – the publicsectors schools and public sector colleges present uglypicture, as being not updated as per the modernrequirements. Lack of interest and sense of dutifulnessamong majority college teachers, encourage students toapproach academies.

parents have no choice but to send their children to academiesto get good scores and secure their career. Applying their formulatechniques, most academies and schools have practically erased8th class from the school education system. instead of it, theyprefer pre 9th preparation.

Mathematics, english, Urdu and optional subjects ofArabic and agriculture were used to be considered veryimportant to prepare a solid base for the students beforetheir promotion to Class 9. However, academy mafia hasignored this key aspect only because it makes sure earlyadmission of student to their private coaching centres andmake money.

surprisingly, the federal and provincial governmenteducation departments are not interfering and playing theirrole. education ministers and their staff are silentspectacles. public school education has been destroyedpartially and college sector almost fully. College teachersrarely take classes and focus on teaching in academies asaccording to them they don’t get handsome package atcollege and they have to take classes at academies to makeboth ends meet. intentionally or unintentionally they havestrengthened the academy mafia.

separately, MDCAt - medical entrance exam has 50percent admission weightage, 40% Fsc and 10% Matric.similarly, eCAt – engineering entry test has 30 percentadmission weightage while 70 % Fsc marks are included foradmission. students who get excellent score in Matriculationand Fsc they remain unable to get admission to MBBs andengineering only because they don’t score well in theentrance exam, which decide their career fate. in a way, thegovernment itself has declared their Matric and Fsc exams as“doubtful and less important”. this has multiplied academiesbusiness further.

if the pti government is really interested in educationalreforms, it must ensure significance of examination ofclass 5 and class 8. it must ensure teachers’ attendance inschools and colleges. the government must trust itsexamination system and let not decide entrance exams thecareer fate of students. g

formula education and academy mafia DR. H. G. Khorana was born in a small

village of about 100 residents inRaipur punjab. His father, a lower

grade government employee determined toeducate his five children. the first schoolwhich Khorana attended was under the shadeof a tree. Having advanced his educationthrough scholarships, Khorana received hisBachelor's degree in 1943, and his Master's in1945 from University of the punjab Lahore. in1948, he completed his phD after being awarded ascholarship by the indian government to pursue doctoralstudies at the University of Liverpool in the UK. He thenwent to the swiss city of Zurich to work with professorVladimir prelog for one year.

A job offer in 1952 took Khorana to the University ofBritish Columbia in Canada, where he initiated hisNobel prize-winning work. During his time there he wasoffered "all the freedom in the world" to do his ownresearch, according to Gordon M shrum, a Canadianscientist in British Columbia. At the University ofBritish Columbia, Khorana and a group of scientistsbegan to work in the field of biology. Khorana was an

expert on thechemical synthesisof proteins and nucleic acids. in 1960, hemoved to the Us, where started working atthe University of Wisconsin. He was grantedAmerican citizenship in 1966. two yearslater, Khorana, Robert W Holley andMarshall W Nirenberg were awarded jointlythe Nobel prize in physiology or medicine"for their interpretation of the genetic code

and its function in protein synthesis". But this was nothis only accolade. in 1972, Khorana was also recognizedfor the construction of the first artificial gene, while fouryears later he announced that he had gotten an artificialgene to function within a bacterial cell. Khorana diedon November 9, 2011. His death was announced by theMassachusetts institute of technology where he was aprofessor emeritus. He married to a swiss lady andsurvived by his children, Julia and Dave.

The writer is former PVC Punjab University andformer Vice Chancellor Lahore Garrison University. He

can be reached at: jamilanwar@cuilahore.edu.pk

dr. Jamil anwar

dr. Har gobind Khorana

Dr. Har Gobind khorana -a nobel laureate of PU

CAReeR counseling has always beenimportant but only recently got therecognition it deserves. Choosing acareer is an important task, but it

may also be a difficult one. Career counselingis an essential factor for identifying the realpotential and guiding students towards a rightcareer path. earlier, people sought out careercounselors for a change in careers, only afterthey got a job and were unhappy with it. Now,people recognize that this isn’t ideal. What is noteworthy isto consider why people change career. it may not be easy todecide what type of job will be the best suitable. Careercounseling helps people assess their skills, needs anddesires in order to find a career that works for them.

to find the right career, there needs to be anunderstanding of what course to take which matches withcapabilities and interests. A student might want to get intoarchitecture thinking he’s good at math and that drawing abuilding isn’t too difficult. in reality, there is much more toarchitecture than that and there is a high possibility of himwanting to pursue another career at the end of the first

year itself. Career counseling in schoolsensures the right kind of help to overcomesuch thinking and stop students from makingsuch mistakes. there is a lack of careercounseling among students and for that anestablished career counselor will firstly explainthe entire report, tell them the perks anddisadvantages of pursuing both their interestsand aptitudes and give them the clarity andunderstanding to make the right decisions.

this is much needed, especially, when students are proneto take advice from inexperienced sources.

in current times, career counseling is a need as moststudents pick commonly known domains as their careeroption. students want to be successful and they don’t mindgetting help. they may feel shy at first or think it’s weak totake help but it’s our responsibility to help them buildstrong careers. it is a great step indeed.

This article is written by Zainab Ali Khan. She is the studentof Institute of Communication Studies, PU, Lahore. She canbe reached at zainabalikhan50@gmail.com

Zainab ali Khan

‘CHanneL yoUr Best,forGet tHe rest’!

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august2019 OPINION | 05

OVeR 65,000 candidatesand only 3500 seats –this scenario is of a race

during which many metaccidents but in the heart-stream of our own nation, theseare our medical students!With the passage of time thenumber of students appearing inthe so called standard medicalentrance exam, MDCAt has increasedtremendously along with a dramatic increase ofcoaching academies and a flourishing businessof many. similar exams are conducted by allprovinces of pakistan to make the admissionspurely on merit. strictness is of very high gradein all levels of this test. ironically the beauty ofthis test is that along with making an admissionprocess transparent, it is producing almost25000 psychiatry patients every year. thisapproximation is made on the basis, thatamong the 65000 candidates attempting thistest, almost 50% are those which are reallyserious about it while the other 50% includesthose who have spent almost 18 years of theirlives dreaming outwardly to become doctorsand inwardly of becoming something else! sofar, among the left over 32500 students almost3500 are qualified and the remaining poorsouls either go for some other field dis-heartedlyor may join some other businesses, and amongthat lot of 32500, nearly 25000 students go ongiving this agony another chance!Why i have been so rude about writing thisall?—the reason behind is my own achingexperience of getting attempted this test for 3times! Yes three times. that day, the tropicalsun was shining over the huge crowd ofcandidates, it was a scene like something wasreally going to be distributed for free and all ofus were standing in front of a huge hall doorwaiting for the door to be opened for us toenter the examination hall at 7:00 am, on theday of 27th August 2017. the weather, irepeat, was real hot but the hotness of theweather was not more painful than themiserable state of the eyes of parents standingwith their candidate students, the children toohad a sense of complete enigma in their eyes,as they were really confused about what wouldbe happening there inside. i was also standingthere in between that gigantic crowd and wasreally relax and satisfied with the preparationi had done, and was enjoying all the dilemma

around me, when all of a suddenthat pretended royal door openedand the students rushed into thathorrible building; like the waterflows when some water filledballoon is pinched from some endand the water is splashed outfrom there. As a matter of fact, iwent along with the students, allof whom were saying good bye to

their anxious parents with a hope to returnsuccessfully. Finally they made us sit andwaiting for the papers to be distributed ilooked around, all around me was a scene ofdespair and horror--- an illuminatinglyhorrible sorrow, with a slight tinge of rarehopefulness in eyes of the students. i myself atthat moment was really confused and a littleterrified by the stolid looking invigilators andtheir inhuman behavior and all of the suddeni felt like something was really flowing insidemy brain, maybe some sort of vein had beenbusted due to over pressurizing of my brain.they then distributed the papers and i, withall possible measures to control myselfaccumulated the required knowledge to makethat exam a wonderful one, but due to the badluck or maybe some other reason that paperwas real tough for me. this all was happeningto me for the first time in life and may be withmany of us attempting that paper, although ihad been scoring good marks through-out myeducational journey. Although the overallresult was not well, that day was the first mostpainful day of my life when i got to have themost terrible result of mine.that air, i had never breathed earlier, thesteps of sorrow that i had never taken earlier,that wave of grief all along the corridor of myhome and i was walking in through therewith a great feel of guilt inside me. theresult, the day, the grief was somehow past,but it left a great mark on my life that wastotally unpredictable. My family forced me toattempt it again the next year. My depressionand a buried disease of some maverick sortgot to grow in me. i resisted, but failed,

The writer is student at Microbiology andMolecular Genetics Department, Universityof the Punjab, Lahore. She can be reached at:

mahrukhikram74@gmail.com

FACULtY evaluation bystudents is considered asone of the most effective

tool in ensuring the quality inhigher education. it is intended toprovide informed assessment ofteaching skills and competenciesof a particular instructor. Highereducation Commission (HeC) ofpakistan back in 2005 establishedQuality Assurance Agency(QAA), with the aimof enforcing good practices in education andencouraging continuous improvement inquality in higher education. to materialize theiraims, the QAA further initiated Qualityenhancement Cells (QeC) in each HeC’srecognized institution. HeC’s QualityAssurance agency provided self-assessmentmanual to QeCs for the execution of theirobjectives. the manual has the approval ofcountry’s renewed academicians whichexplicitly has emphasized the facultyevaluations by students for all the courses thatthey are being taught by their instructors.ever since, the faculties and departments areconducting such evaluations. However, theefficiency of these evaluation in ensuring qualityeducation is often questioned. extensiveevidence could be found in universities, provingthe fact that the evaluations are deficient toconsiderably a large extent, if not totallyremained useless.students often think of these evaluations merelyas a course of formal bureaucratic proceedings.Upon receiving these evaluations preformat,they start filling it without even the least interestthey require. their lack of interest could beexplained in various terms, i.e. in the termsincapability of our education setup to produceany positive outcomes as result of theseevaluations. students also have been foundcomplaining that the preformat are beingprovided to them by the time when theywould’ve to take their terminal exams. in suchcircumstances, they either have to play sincerelyand afford stern grading or to give the fake yetpleasant responses and attain the grades theydesire.in addition, such evaluations have acceleratedthe already increasing rate of grade inflation -the rise in students’ grades without thecorrespondence of the knowledge, skills, and

abilities they have. student gradeinstructors on the basis of gradesthey had/would’ve to receive frominstructors in exams. Hence boththe instructors and students arefound to be caged by the fear ofbeing graded poorly. they prefersoft responses over hard ones byeasing each other jobs whichresults in the appearance of ill-

informed evaluations and the fake gradesrecorded on transcripts.Here, the cases of sincerely filled evaluations bystudents should not be overlooked, but even ifwe contemplate them, the threat of inaccuracystill remains stagnant. established research onquality of education suggests that student’sfeedback is dominantly influenced by his/herindividual differences. Religious and politicalorientations, difference of learning styles andethnic biasness serve as systematic way ofjudging the skill and effectiveness of teacherwho may hold a particular religious, political orethnic affiliation. Consequently, the feedbackfull of biasness loses the attention ofadministrators and policy makers to utilizethem in bringing out quality reforms ineducation.the faculty promotions policy of educationsystem is also contributing to the ineffectivenessof these evaluations. For instance, in Highereducation institutions (Heis) the upwardmobility of instructor is associated with numberof publications the instructor has published.Cognizant of the fact that they do not need torely on student feedback for their promotions,the faculty may deem them insignificant andhence the attempts to ensure quality in teachingproved themselves as inoperable and useless. the policies regarding the quality assurance inhigher education through faculty evaluationshould be informed of these multifacetedloopholes. secondly, HeC and Hei (highereducation institutes) are required to considerthese evaluations as significant while setting thecriteria for faculty promotions.

The writer is post-graduate student atsociology’s department of International Islamic

University, Islamabad and pursuingspecialization in sociology of education. He can

be reached at awqureshi9@gmail.com

abdul Wahid

Mahrukh ikram

A SOPHISTICATED MASSACRE;Hidden story with message

All articles are published in good faith. The views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect those of The Educationist.Objections or critique are welcomed for publication. Send your articles, letters, cartoons at editor@educationist.com.pk

Why faculty evaluations arenot effective?

pAKistAN is ranked amongtop five most popularcountries in the world for

freelancing in the OL index 2017.More than 200,000 pakistani workonline and generate revenue ofapprox. 1 trillion dollars annually.this figure is expanding gradually.

it clearly depicts the talent of ourpeople, specially students who are a

key factor in this regard. in pakistan, the concept of earningmoney online came very late but as we all know: “better latethan never.” Now many universities are offering e-commercecourses to enrich the students with digital skills.

Also, the govt. is taking different initiatives forunemployed people. One such step is the e-Rozgar schemeintroduced by pitB. the e-Rozgar team has establisheddifferent training centres in 36 cites of punjab where theyhave trained more than 9000 young people. the purpose ofthis program is to instruct the freelancers and escalate theirprofessional capacities. similarly, another successfulprogram by pitB is Digiskills. it is an online video courseseries which gives students a foundation for freelancing. so,the options are broad for the students who are currentlyenrolled in any degree program or have just finished theirstudies. they can simply enroll themselves in these trainingprograms because it is all free.

How students can earn online?unfolding the trend of freelancing in pakistan

Decline in the national educationstandard is one of the mostimportant topics of discussion atour social gatherings. everyone hashis own views and experiences tonarrate and ultimately, expressesthe expressions of grief. it is aknown fact that our educationalstandard are on the decline. Wehave progressed in quantitative

expansion but gone backward qualitatively, in thegovernment policies there are planning andrecommendations for the revolutionary steps but the progressis negligible. While thinking about education, the mostimportant idea that comes to mind is curriculum. Curriculumis the roadmap that school administration needs for givingeducational and life skills to students.

the process of curriculum development is facing seriousissues in pakistan. these issues are interference ofbureaucrats, the absence of involvement of school teachersand the lack of academic skills in researchers responsible fordesigning curriculum for schools. the most important featureof curriculum is content. students follow route-learningprocess, because the content of their books does not match totheir educational skills.there are some determinants ofcurriculum development like social aspects, cultural factors,basic needs, traditional and religious aspects. the process ofcurriculum development needs to be developed, designed,

reviewed, evaluated, monitored and then to be implemented.Curriculum problems of pakistan are lack of sequence,

economic interference, disapproval of society, lack of teachingmaterial, economic problems and outdated syllabi. parentstake it as a compliment when somebody mentions theirchildren taking after them, but not when almost threegenerations have studied the same curriculum with littlechange other than a poor redesign of the front covers.

Understandably, the curriculum in school and collegescannot be expected to encompass everything; however,students should at least be given a flavor of what to expectwhen they take on the avatar of practical life. they should beexposed to the on-going issues of society. the next generationshould be brought up on ideals better than ours. theircurriculum should cater to the left and right hooks of themodern world. We need to ensure that their curriculum goesthrough a process of incremental changes for improvement.

in order to make students problem-solvers, our books mustcontain questions that relate to problems, we face in our dailylife. By answering those questions, students will learn to solveissues in difficult situations. For example, while studying theconcept of speed in science, students must be given questionsrelated to real-life examples of speed such as speed of a caretc., so that they know the application of the concept.

The writer is a student of media studies at Institute ofCommunication Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore

and can be reached at ziazubair330@gmail.com

iqra Rafiq ahmadM Zia ullah

details on educationist.com.pk

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Curriculum problem in pakistan

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 201906 | SUPPLEMENT

University of Baltistan promote SKARDU: Under the leadership of Vice Chancellor prof. Dr. Naeem Khan, the University of Baltistan (UoBs) is promoting local potential and talent in a multidimensional series of activitiesat and beyond campus. some of the recent activities include national cherry festival, workshop on artificial intelligence and information security, seminar on Collective Action for Knowledgeeconomy with technology, An MoU NUst for joint research and collaboration in the field of faculty training, student exchange, summer schools, artificial intelligence & robotics, glaciology,tourism, business incubation, minerals and others.

national cherry feStival

DepARtMeNt of tourism and Hospitality UoBs celebratedNational Cherry Festival in collaboration with Khashal Agri-tourism park on June 23, 2019. the festival was held at Khashal

Agri-tourism park in Ghowari District Gangche, Agriculture departmentwas collaborating with Khashal and University of Baltistan.

Vice Chancellor prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem Khan presided the eventand Deputy Commander 323 Brigade Col. ibrar was the chief guest.Faculty members, staff, students of UOBs, attended the festival at Khashalpark Ghowari, with a large number of participants from different parts ofBaltistan.

Addressing the ceremony, speakers highlighted that the objective of theevent was to promote and extend Agri-tourism Business ideas forentrepreneurship skills and provide opportunities for agricultural andrural development. the festival can contribute in the beauty of the regionproducing and cultivating maximum agricultural products and marketingthese products, that will consequently improve income and hencewellbeing of farmers. this event was the first of its nature in Gilgit-Baltistan. the speakers also highlighted ‘peace’ in the region as one of themajor factors of tourist attraction.

Vice Chancellor prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem Khan talking on theobjectives of the event highlighted the cause raised pM imran Khan that isClean and Green pakistan that the VC is determined to make the allottedland of the university green. He said that certain festivals can promote theimage of the region in every arena. the Chief Guest of the event Col. ibrarsaid Agri-tourism is one of the most important industries that we have todevelop in this region so that the people of this region could get help indevelopment of economy and life standards. On this occasion Renownedpoets of Baltistan, prof Hashmat Kamal ilhami and ehsan Ali Danishshared their poetry on Cherry and Aagri-tourism. g

department of Mathematics and department ofComputer Science together organized a workshop on"understanding Mathematics with artificialintelligence and information Security" on 26-27 June2019. Renowned professor dr. tasswar Hayat (Hi),Chairperson of Mathematics department Quaid-e-azam university presented his talk as key note speaker.dr. Mehtab afzal, from university of Lahore and Mr.Hasnat ali, Capital university of Science andtechnology islamabad delivered talks on differentaspects of artificial intelligence and informationsecurity. the topics covered by different presenters inthis workshop were: Mathematical Modeling andutilization; Computer Vision, Multimedia Videoextraction; information Security; Cloud Computing, FogComputing; Mathematical simulation from naturalphenomena; application of Calculus in real World. in the inaugural session while giving the welcomespeech, director academics, dr. Zakir said that uoB is anew born digital native with smart online CampusManagement System (CMS). the founding Registrarof the university later dr irshad was the pioneer. thedirector shared salient points of ai in light of an articleof his own published in 1994. He also shared ascientific poetry titled “i am electron” that was alsopublished. prof. dr. tasawur Hayat applauded the potentials andtalents of the young faculty of uoB. prof. tasawurexpressed his hopes that this new university can grow

so rapidly that it can be in leading position withinyears. all the presenters appreciated the engagedparticipation and quality of questions in questionanswer session that reflects the understanding andtalents of the students. the host presenters dr.Munawer abbas, dr. Zakir Qamer, Mr. Jawad usmanarshad and Mr. imtiaz also presented their papers.Faculty members, students of Mathematics andComputer Science from public School and College,girls degree College and degree College for Boys alsoparticipated the session. g

WorKShop on ai and inforMation SecUrity

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 2019 SUPPLEMENT | 07

es local talent

For the university campus infrastructure an area of1500 kanal land was allotted opposite to Skarducity across the river indus. after demarcation by therevenue department, its topographic survey hasbeen completed by the designing consultants. Forthe topographic survey latest drone technology

was used. Solar water pump has been installed forwater supply. Fencing poles have been erected andthe site office cum guard room is completed. assoon as the master plan is completed and thearchitectural design and layout is approved by HeC,construction works will be started. g

UoBS infrastructure development project starts

Aseminar on ‘’Collective Actionfor Knowledge economy withtechnology’’ was held atUniversity of Baltistan,

skardu. Guest speaker ex-VC UVAsprof. Dr. Muhammad Nawaz graced thesession transforming wealth ofknowledge to the students and thefaculty of the varsity. VC prof. Dr.Muhammad Naeem Khan, Registrar

Waseemullah Jan, Controllerexamination Dr. Ghulam Raza, DirectorAcademics Dr. Zakir Hussain, all HODs,faculty members and students of theuniversity attended the session. ViceChancellor prof. Dr. Muhammad NaeemKhan expressed the welcome speechthanking the guest speaker for ensuringhis presence in the session. the Guestspeaker said that awareness about the

uses and abuses of the technology hasparamount significance in the currentera known as the era of informationtechnology. He further said when the useof technology is clear to all the strata ofthe society then it can be said that everyproblem is solved smoothly in presentera. Baltistan University has beenorganizing seminars and conferences togive maximum exposure to the students

and faculty to promote the sense ofeducational and research culture in theuniversity. UOBs will lead the studentsand faculty research and qualityeducation by getting expertise andintellectual and professional experiencesof the competent scholars of the countryand from the international educationalcommunity who visit Baltistan and canspare time for talks at university. g

tHe inaugural session of transcriptLaunching was followed by the seminaron Collective Action for Knowledge

economy with technology. University ofBaltistan launched its academic transcript withspecial security unique features. Controller ofexamination Dr. Ghulam Raza shared thesalient features of the official originaltranscript of University of Baltistan.transcripts of initial 30 serial numbers weregranted to graduates in this ceremony.

The salient features of transcript are:g uoBS name added in rare Yige (agay) Balti Script g digital verification featuresg Special QR Code for scanning g Special paper from Security printing pressg gpa, Cgpa, percentage, and quality points of marksg picture idg CniC # idg entry in HeC's pakistan Qualification Register (pQR)g Verifiable online

the first transcript distribution ceremonyof UOBs was held at the university AnchanCampus Auditorium. g

Seminar on ‘’collective action for Knowledge economy with technology’’

transcript launching ceremony

iN a graceful ceremony held at NUstRector’s Office, the Rector Lt-General (r)Naweed Zaman and UOBs Vice-

Chancellor prof Dr Muhammad Naeem Khansigned an MoU. pro-Rector (Academics) DrAsif Raza, pro-Rector (RiC) Dr Nassar ikramand UOBs pD engr Muhammad idrees,along with principal officers of NUst, werealso present on the occasion.

NUst is the top ranking university inpakistan and amongst 500 world ranking. ithas opened the doors for newly establishedBaltistan University, and taken the new varsityunder its wings for patronage in research andknowledge generation. As per the accordsigned, both the universities have agreed tolaunch a joint research support programmeand collaboration in the field of facultytraining, student exchange, summer schools,artificial intelligence & robotics, glaciology,tourism, business incubation, minerals andothers. the UOBs students shall have access to

the NUst laboratories and placement incourses in winter vacations. the progress ofthe joint venture shall be monitored by boththe Rector NUst & UOBs VC in the follow-upprogress meetings held after every six months.

UOBs Vice-Chancellor prof DrMuhammad Naeem Khan thanked the NUstrector for providing extensive cooperation tothe UOBs situated in a strategicallyimportant region of Baltistan in the wake ofChina-pakistan economic Corridor (CpeC)and the gateway of Himalayan Glaciers. g

UoBS signs MoU with nUSt

UOBs pays Convivial tribute to theYoung international Boxer Mr.Usman Wazir.

in a welcoming ceremony, the university ofBaltistan skardu, pays tributes to youngnational boxer Mr Usman Wazir. the ViceChancellor prof. Dr. Muhammad NaeemKhan cordially congratulated to the Mr.Usman Wazir and his Family for Winningthe National Boxing Champion 2019 andappointed him as the Honorary BoxingCouch at the university. the VC further saidthat Mr. Usman is one of the young heroes ofthe nation especially the hero of GB who atvery young age earned fame that UOBs istruly proud of him. Chairman standingCommittee Mr. Ashraf sada alsocongratulated Mr. Usman and his family forsuch a tremendous achievement.

Mr. Usman Wazir talking to the audiencethanked the university management for givinggreat love and respect for him. He said this isthe success of every young boy of GB wholoves him and possesses strong will power. Hesaid as human beings we have both the ways,

either to sit idle or to get fame and dignity. Heentertained the audience telling them aboutthe hardship and experiences he encounteredin the journey of world boxing champion. theFather of Mr. Usman Wazir, Mr. Wazir tajwaraddressing to the audience paid gratitude tothe university management for giving cordiallove and respect to his son.

prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem presentedresearch paper entitled "potential ofMountaineering & eco-tourism in Baltistan"as key note speaker at the "internationalConference on Mountaineering & eco-tourism" at KiU, Hunza Campus, GB. Hisexcellency, Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon,Governor GB, was the Chief Guest, June 27,2019. the concluding session of the conferencewas graced by the Chancellor KiU and UOBsthe president of pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi. in hispresentation prof. Naeem highlighted theenormous potentials of tourism in Baltistanand role of University to tap the potentials inall domains of tourism; adventure tourism,cultural tourism, mountaineering, agri-tourism and eco-tourism opportunities. g

UoBS pays convivial tribute to young international boxer Usman Wazir

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 201908 | NATIONAL

By talha aKMalphotography: haSSan raza

DAMs are indispensable andpakistani engineers have a greatscope in water reservoirsconstruction besides vast

opportunities to contribute in the nationaldevelopment under the China pakistaneconomic Corridor (CpeC) projects. thiswas stated by Mr. Faiz-ul-Hassan sipra, Chiefengineer of punjab University. theeducationist conducted an interview withhim, following are the details:

‘THE EDUCATIONIST: Tell us about yourearly life and education?eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: i belongto sahiwal. i acquired my education fromvarious institutions. i passed my Fsc from

Military College Jehlum.

THE EDUCATIONIST: Are you satisfiedwith your job?eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: i have

good experience in this field. i feel this workis related to my taste and i really enjoy mywork. From my childhood, i was interested inbuilding houses, roads and such things so irealize that from beginning there was bit ofan engineer in myself.

THE EDUCATIONIST: Tell us about yourprofessional experience? eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: When iwas passed out in 2000, there were no suchattractive jobs for civil engineers. this wasthe reason for which i went for the civilservices exam and cleared it thrice butunfortunately did not get allocation. i alsoopted the teaching profession. i taught the

subject of B tech honors and architecture aswell. Later, i realized that there was nocreativity involved in it. Being a teacher itmight be okay but in my perception thepracticing engineer’s life is different. so, iswitched to field work and then joined MDCconsultant and did some good projects. i alsodid a project of UNesCO. i worked with theconsultants of small dams and it was indeeda good experience.

THE EDUCATIONIST: When did you joinPU?eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: in2006, a job opportunity came and i wasrecruited as an engineer in pU. it has been 12years. During this tenure, there are manyprojects that we have completed includingroad project, sewerage water supply systemsand a multipurpose building also.

THE EDUCATIONIST: How did youovercome the fear of failure in life?eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: First ofall, i have never come up with any such thing,in my life till now, which i treated as the ‘Door Die situation’. i am a very positive personand believe in Almighty Allah. When ourcreator has created us for something, He willsurely provide that to us and if there issomething that is not for us, we should notgo for that.THE EDUCATIONIST: What do you thinkabout the constructions of new dams as wellas the feasibility of Diamer Bhasha Dam andabout the scope for Pakistani Engineers?eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: As weall know that building dams is indispensablefor pakistan due to increasing water crisis.Here, i would also talk about the constructedsmall dams in sind, Baluchistan and punjabwhich are also contributing to water safety.this trend should also be kept in mind whilemaking strategies. secondly, Diamer BhashaDam is a pivotal project. it will not onlyharness the generation of electricity but alsosecure a vast amount of water storage, whichis a dire need of the time. it is our moral dutyto protect the future of our generations.pakistani engineers’ participation would be akey to this project because they are trulyaware of the northern areas and behavior ofthe soil, better than any other foreigncompany.

THE EDUCATIONIST: It is a perceptionthat in CPEC, Pakistani engineers have beensidelined. Do you think that they are notcapable enough to be engaged as an asset inCPEC? eNGR. FAiZ-UL-HAssAN sipRA: it is amisconception and rather misinformationthat pakistani engineers have been sidelinedin CpeC. they are working along with armyengineers in different CpeC related projects.Foreign companies are being called for butwe cannot neglect the importance ofpakistani engineers.

Pak engineers’ role vital for national development: faiz sipra

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1in the year 2017-18, 550 million were

earmarked for the Fulbright scholarshipssupport program of HeC-UsAiD phase-2,while Rs 527 million had been allocated forpak-UsAiD Merit and Need Basedscholarship program.

HeC has 17 new projects for the year 2019-20, while around 120 ongoing projects will becompleted by the end of the current fiscalyear. Last year, 43 new schemes were includedin HeC projects. For new projects, 80 millionrupees have been kept for construction ofhostel/sports facilities at Karakoram

international University (KiU). total worth ofthe project is Rs 316.39m. For pak-UKKnowledge gateway-HeC, 100 million havebeen fixed.

A sum of Rs 50 million has also beenallocated for the construction of theUniversity of Mines and Mineral in Naukandi(total cost Rs 500m) and 300 million fordevelopment and extension of BolanUniversity of Health sciences, Quetta. totalcost of this project is Rs 1.6 billion.

Furthermore, the government has alsoallocated Rs 950 million for Highereducation Development program of pakistan,

while Rs 500 million have also been allocatedfor establishment of Federal institute atHyderabad sindh (total cost 1.9 billion). thegovernment has also allocated Rs400 millionfor establishment of pak-China NationalResearch Centre on earth sciences at Quaid-e-Azam University islamabad.

Rs 300 million have been fixed forestablishment of a new campus of NationalUniversity of technology (total cost Rs2.9bn),while Rs 50 million have been allocated forestablishment of women campus of KohatUniversity of science and technology (totalcost Rs986.98m).

similarly, Rs 100m will be spent on pak-UKknowledge gateway project of the HeC (totalcost Rs 832m). Meanwhile, Rs 50m havebeen allocated for upgrading and capacitybuilding of pakistan Academy of sciences(total cost Rs 519m) and Rs 289m foruplifting academic and infrastructurefacilities at Hazara University, Mansehra,(total cost Rs1.7bn).

it is noteworthy that no budget allocationhas been made for religious seminaries,though government had announcedregulating the madrassas with the ministry ofFe&pt.

Govt cuts HEC budget by 20 %

Dr. Mansoor Sarwar strives to uplift UETstaff Report

LAHORe: Dr. syed Mansoor sarwarafter assuming the office of the ViceChancellor University of engineering andtechnology (Uet) has started visitingvarious faculties and departments tobrainstorm on key issues and futuredevelopment of the respective disciplinewith special focus on enhancing linkagewith the industry.

After serving American universitiees,LUMs Lahore, UMt Lahore and punjab

University, he has joined his alma mater asits highest officer 38 years after finishing hisBsc in electrical engineering (ee) in 1981from Uet. After serving as Lecturer in theee department for less than a year, heproceeded to the UsA for higher studies inJanuary 1983.

punjab Higher education Commission(pHeC) Chairman and former Vice-Chancellor of University of engineering andtechnology (Uet) Lahore prof Dr FazalAhmad Khalid visited Uet and met theincumbent VC prof Dr syed Mansoor

sarwar. He congratulated prof Mansoor onassuming the charge of vice-chancellor Uet.

During the meeting, the chairman pHeCalso exchanged ideas on development of theuniversity. He shared his academicexperiences and hoped that under theleadership of Dr Mansoor Uet would gain asignificant position in the field of knowledgeand research. Dr Mansoor alsocongratulated prof Dr Fazal on assumingthe charge of chairman pHeC and hopedthat pHeC would play a major role in thepromotion of research in the province.

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 2019 REPORT | 09

COMpLetiNG one year of academicexcellence at the largest public sectoruniversity of the country, punjabUniversity Vice Chancellor prof. Dr. Niaz

Ahmed Akhtar has implemented his reformsagenda based on rule of law, merit,transparency and accountability since heassumed the office of pU VC on June 8, 2018,ensuring landmark increase in university’sworld ranking through promotion of researchand making progress in all disciplines.

For the first time in Qs World UniversitiesRankings, pU jumped up from 232 to 193position, improving its ranking 39 times inAsia as compared to the previous years. Aspecial briefing was also arranged on Qsranking and pU appeared for the first time inthe Qs subject ranking of physics, chemistry,agriculture and forestry for the first time inhistory. All four department’s ranking hasbeen improved manifolds.

For improving student-teacher ratio, longawaited vacant faculty positions were filledpurely on merit basis. A total of 153 facultymembers were appointed including 17professors, 29 associate professors, 48 assistantprofessors and 59 lecturers. professors andassociate professors’ appointments enhancedfunctioning of their respective departmentsand it will help improve varsity rankingfurther. this has also provided a peace of mindto university’s senior teachers who wereawaiting their promotions since many years.Moreover, the vice chancellor, taking care ofuniversity’s non-teaching staff, promoted morethan 2,000 employees who could not get theirdue rights since decades. punjab University hasnever witnessed such huge number ofpromotions and appointments in the shortestperiod of one year in the history and this hashappened only due to the vision and efforts ofthe incumbent administration.

Research promotion remained the vicechancellor’s special focus with Rs 150 millionadditional budget and restoration of researchincentive award for teachers. For the first timein the history of punjab University, to encourageresearch, the Vice Chancellor announced specialincentives for the students who would publishtheir research papers in reputed journals. Heespecially encouraged industry-academialinkage to solve national problems throughresearch, besides focusing on studententrepreneurship to exploit their potential whileannouncing complete financial support tostudents’ projects based on innovative ideas.

the punjab government, expressing completetrust in his abilities, gave additional/actingcharge of vice chancellorship of Uet taxila andinformation technology University (itU)Lahore to Dr. Niaz Ahmad.

expressing his vision, Dr. Niaz said that theuniversity administration was focusing on goodgovernance, restoration of pU’s academicexcellence, research with socio-economicimpact and depoliticizing the university. “Allstatutory bodies of the university have beenregulated and senate’s meeting was held after13 years. streamlining the university’s systemhelped improved international ranking of theuniversity,” he said. As many as five meetings ofsyndicate, 12 Advance studies and ResearchBoards and three Academic Council meetingsdeliberated on academic advancement ofuniversity. Moreover, the courses of allacademic programs have been revised onmodern lines at par with the requirements ofindustries concerned.

Regarding promotion of research, Dr. Niaz’spolicy is very aggressive as he has vowed toincrease research productivity of pU. Heensured allocation of Rs 150 million forresearch. to strengthen research culture, theuniversity is spending Rs 434 million onscholarships, including Rs 70 million forteachers’ overseas scholarships, Rs 64 millionfor participation in national and internationalconferences, Rs 202 million for studentscholarships, student affairs and careercounseling and other activities.

separately, while inaugurating a chemicalreaction engineering lab, he urged the teachersto focus on quality and economic impactresearch and extended his full support to such

research projects in this regard. “Universities

are meant for creation of new knowledge. ifuniversities are not creating knowledge, itmeans universities are not functioning andultimately we will not survive. pU would playits active role for socio-economic developmentof the country,” he expressed these view whileexpressing his vision.

phD programme is the backbone of anyuniversity. Under the leadership of Dr NiazAhmed, 186 scholars successfully completedtheir doctorate degrees during one year and318 phD, Mphil research proposals wereapproved during this period. Furthermore,punjab University and China’s North eastUniversity have jointly launched pakistan'slargest and landmark phD programme in thesubject of history. Chinese representative Mreast Yang and 15 Chinese phD students, outof which 12 are teachers, attended theinaugural ceremony at pU Department ofHistory and pakistan studies. prof Niaz

Ahmed believes, “the joint phD programwould strengthen pak-China relationsfurther. it is a good opportunity to learn fromeach other's knowledge and experience andunderstand culture of the two countries. Hesaid that phD program would groom theinternational students in a different way andimprove quality of education in the subject.

the vice chancellor laid foundation stone ofpakistan’s first-ever UsFDA approvedlaboratories for the production andapplications of stem cells at Centre ofexcellence in Molecular Biology. University ofHealth sciences’ Vice Chancellor prof Dr JavedAkram, former pU Vice Chancellor Dr RafiqueAhmed, renowned scientist prof Dr Riazuddin,CeMB Director prof Dr tayyab Husnain,renowned scientists were present on thisoccasion. prof Niaz said that the university waspromoting such research projects which wouldlead to socio-economic development of thecountry. He said that science and technologieswere changing rapidly in the world and wemust make efforts to create new knowledge andcontribute in advancement of our country.

prof Niaz Ahmad also laid foundation stone

of technology park at pUCit New Campus to

help support ever increasing demand oftechnology graduates in the country. prof NiazAhmad has established Cancer ResearchCentre to fight one of the most fatal diseases.

For using social entrepreneurship to resolveissues being faced by the society, prof Niaz isintroducing social entrepreneurship Centre,which would also help generate employmentopportunities for its graduates. the vicechancellor has urged the students that theymust identify the problems in their relevantarea, present a solution and prepare a plan toconvert it into a business activity. to encouragestudents, he announced funding of suchprojects which would provide employmentopportunities to the students.

to help country come out of variouschallenges, prof Niaz Ahmad has implementedhis vision very exclusively. prof Niaz Ahmadthinks that this must be the role of universitiesto give policies to the government and resolve

problems being faced at national level. Due tohis encouragement and support, variousdepartments have developed policies to setnational discourses in various fields for thedevelopment of country. For instance, thecountry is facing serious challenges in the fieldof economics and progress in country’s overalleconomic spectrum is a must for pakistan’sdevelopment. taking up this challenge, prof DrMumtaz Anwar, Chairman, Department ofeconomics and a veteran economist, hasdeveloped and submitted a comprehensivenational economic policy, which can helpimprove country’s economy. this initiative isbeing seen as a landmark academiccontribution which is dire need of the countryand academic institutions. Following the visionof the vice chancellor to provide mostaffordable education to the students, the pUadministration is providing maximumsubsidies to the students. On the instructions ofthe vice chancellor, pU is providing Rs 190million hostel subsidy, Rs 55 million transportsubsidy and Rs 7 million internet subsidy tostudents. the net subsidy on the mentionedservices has been increased from Rs 166 million

to Rs 252 million. Rs 285 million are being

spent on development projects. For industry-academia linkage, a team of

punjab University Office of Research,innovation and Commercialization is activelyworking to enhance industry-academia linkages.the team discussed problems of the industryduring meetings with the members of theLahore Chamber of industry and Commerceand other stakeholders. these problems are putbefore the pU researchers for giving solutions. Atotal 13 Memorandum of Understanding(MoUs) were signed with national and internalorganizations during last one year.

Admission reforms were another milestone ofpU administration under the leadership of ViceChancellor Dr. Niaz Ahmad. every year therewere political problems in the name ofadmission stalls by student groups. studentsand their parents have to travel from all parts ofthe country just to submit admission forms.Under Dr Niaz’s leadership for the first time,admission applications were received andprocessed online. A total 1,27,000 applicationswere received out of which around 10,000candidates got admission purely on merit. Hecongratulated newly admitted students and saidthey were lucky they got admission in the mostprestigious seat of learning in pakistan. He saidthat Mohsin-e-pakistan Dr Abdul Qadeer Khanhas given a message to the students to workhard for the development of the country.

Also for the first time in the history ofvarsity, in order to enhance security system ofpU, VC laid foundation stone of e-Lanesystem at the university’s Gate No. 1. the e-Lane comprising five separate lanes for cars,motorcycles etc. would be completed within45 days on fast-track basis.

Following prime Minister imran Khan’sGreen pakistan, Clean pakistan vision, Dr.Niaz announced that 100,000 trees wouldbe planted on campuses as part of pUadministration’s vision to play its role inprotection of environment. He made thisannouncement while launching treeplantation drive at institute of Agriculturalsciences. “Conserving environment is needof the hour because we cannot survivewithout healthy atmosphere. pU will launchresearch projects to help save our nature. itis our national duty to keep our environmentclean as various types of pollution is takingthe toll of hundreds of thousands of livesevery year and if we do not take steps in rightdirections, it will be difficult for ourupcoming generations to survive,” heremarked. g

PU ranking improvesrule of law, transparency, merit ensured

one-YeaR peRFoRManCe oF pu VC dR. niaZ aHMad

at a glance - JUne 8, 2018 to JUne 7, 2019g 186 phdS prodUced g 318 SynopSeS approvedg 204 facUlty and Staff added to hUMan reSoUrce g 24 national and international conferenceSg 13 MoUS Signed g 2 Senate MeetingS g 5 Syndicate MeetingS g 3 acadeMic coUncil MeetingSg 12 advance StUdieS & reSearch Board MeetingSg 127,000 applicationS for adMiSSionS

prof. dr. niaz ahmad believes that the role of universities is to give policies to the government

and resolve national problems

august 201910 | CONVOCATION WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK

tHe Chancellor of KiU awarded goldmedals to 66 distinguished studentsand 710 degrees to the graduates ofBs, Msc, MA, Ms and phD. the

graduates successfully completed their studiesin the fields of Life sciences, Natural sciences,social sciences & Humanities.

the graduates of KiU skardu Campus werealso awarded medallions and conferred withdegrees, the skardu campus is now become afull fledge University (University ofBaltistan).Besides, the Governor GilgitBaltistan Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon andChief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez urRehman awarded silver medals to 49 studentsfor their high standing performances.

Along the dignitaries, Vice Chancellor KiUengr. prof. Dr. Attaullah shah, Civil andMilitary officers, educationist, parents,students and media personals were present onthe occasion.

in his welcome address Vice Chancellor KiUengr. prof. Dr. Attaullah shah emphasized thatKarakoram international University is nowranked among top universities of pakistan dueto its highly qualified teachers and quality ofeducation.He said that 80 percent of KiUteachers have phds degree holders from leadingnational and international universities. Hefurther highlighted that in a brief history ofKiU, more than twelve thousands graduates of

KiU are rendering their serves in the variousprofessional capacities inside and outsidepakistan.

the VC KiU informed the august gatheringabout recent tangible initiatives at KiU, whichincludes the Faculty of engineering to tap thenatural resources of Gilgit-Baltistan.

the engineering Faculty that is designed on amix of modern and traditional architecturalstyles, shows KiU’s commitment to bridgetraditional wisdom with modern knowledgeorientations. some additional importantinitiatives include tourism and HospitalityManagement program at Hunza Campus,Financial Aid Office, Centre for CareerDevelopment, Centre for Faculty Development,Chinese Language and Chinese LanguageCertification system through establishingConfucius institute and other technical skilledcertificate courses on continuing education atinstitute of professional Development, degreeprogram in Urdu and successful weekendGraduate programs to promote research basedhigher education, establishing Karakoraminstitute of Gilgit-Baltistan studies is to protectthe rich cultural diversity and traditionalknowledge wisdom of this region, Centre forResearch on CpeC to understand the emergingeconomic opportunities for our younggraduates and harness benefits for entireregion, and establishment of

internationalization office to make thisuniversity as an international university in truespirit.

the VC KiU vehemently advocated thenotion that all these initiatives at KiU, whichare carefully designed with the relevance andapplicability to this region. in the end hecongratulated the graduating students andtheir parents.

the Chancellor of KiU and the president ofislamic Republic of pakistan Dr. Arif Alvicongratulated the graduates and, with that,reminded them of the greater role that agraduate caries on his / her shoulders. On theOccasion he said that “i extend my best

congratulation to all the graduates at thishappy occasion and i hope you realize theprofound role upon your shoulders to ignitethe spirit of peace, prosperity andconstructiveness … You are the one who canbecome the agents of change for a better futureand you are the one to build your society”Chancellor KiU added.

Flag Bearer of the Convocation was Dr.Abdul Hameed Lone Registrar KiU, who ledthe academic procession. Mr. Zamin Ali shigrirecited some verses from holy Quran, while Mr.Minhajud din graduate of Department ofModern Languages represented graduates inhis valedictory speech.

President arif alvi chairs kiU 9th Convocation

academic procession of Kiu 9th Convocation arrives. position Holders at the Convocation.

president of pakistan/Chancellor Kiu awards degree to a phd student. Vice Chancellor Kiu prof. dr. attaullah Shah presents a souvenir to the president of pakistan

group photo of governor gB, Chief Minister gB, Chief Secretary gB, Vice Chancellor Kiu and others.

report: SaMreen ilyaS - photo: SaJJad ali

LaHoRe: Known educationist and former chair-person punjab Higher education Commissionprof. dr. Mohammad nizamuddin has said thatdespite of experimentation and all-out effortsthe higher education of the country was unableto produce graduates at a par to the nationalneeds for development. our education systemis adding to the unemployed youth of the na-tion due to lack of skilled/technical training andmerely theory based education system.

dr. nizam, , who is currently serving as pro-Rector university of Central punjab, was ad-dressing a thought-provoking session as guestspeaker at Maulana Zafar ali Khan trust. dr.Khawja al-Qama, prof. dr. Shafiq Jullandhry,Rauf tahirand dr. Shabbir Sarwar were alsopresent.

“unfortunately, no single consensus definitionof word ‘graduate’ has been made in the coun-try as students doing two year graduation afterintermediate as well as those completing fouryear of education after intermediate wereclaiming as graduates.”

“education system in pakistan was not

changed with the changing times, HeC intro-duced BS four year program but two yearBa/BSc and Ma/MSc degrees were also con-tinue. now they have decided to do away withit.

We also introduced two year associate degreeprogram in four colleges, which is now being ex-pand to other colleges of the country.

dr. nizamuddin said that time to time noprominent required changes were made in edu-cation since the inception of pakistan as it isstill based on colonial era system. uK itself hadmade many changes as per modern require-ments but our students are seen more inter-ested in receiving degrees rather thandeveloping skills, also they want jobs but op-portunities are not more in this country. interestof parents and students is increasing in highereducation, also universities are increasing inpakistan but even then future of graduates isnot clear. Students lack interest in libraries dueto which quality of education is low so in myopinion so it is really important to have skill-be-side degrees.

Civil servant are trained before service butteachers are not trained today although not

long time ago teachers were trained by 10-15 B-ed and Masters degree holder. For selection ofeducationists across the province B.ed andM.ed degree holders were considered inferior ascompared to MSc degree holders, although theywere trained teachers. Former vice chancellorBZu Multan dr. Khawja al-Qama while express-ing his pessimism remarked that: “our national

political leaders have no educational vision,which is one of the main reasons of educationalpolicy problems. earlier, dr. Shafiq Jullandhrygave a detailed introduction of dr. nizam men-tioning his decades long contribution. Mr. Rauftahir conducted the discussion in a very lightand lively manner. dr. Mujahid Mansoori, dr.azmat Rasool were also present.

Higher education needs overhaul: Dr. nizam

WWW.EDUCATIONIST.COM.PK august 2019 LINKAGE | 11

report By - SaJJad ali and SaMreen ilyaS

LAHORE: A 12 member of delegation fromKhyber pakhtunkhwa (KpK) comprisingprofessors, poets and journalists visited punjabUniversity as part of their culture exchange tourto punjab province on a special invitation ofGovernment of punjab through punjabinstitute of Language, Art and Culture(piLAC).

the delegation was led by professor AbaseenYousafzai of islamia University peshawar, whileother delegates included Jehan sultana,Rokhan Yosafzai and others. punjab Universitypro vice chancellor prof. Dr. saleem Mazharalong with pU senior professors and poetsreceived the delegation and issues of mutualinterest were discussed at pU Undergraduatestudies committee room. piLAC DG Dr.sughra sadaf was also present there.

speaking on this occasion pU ViceChancellor prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar saidthat inter-provincial exchange visits should beorganized regularly because these help bridgethe distance and promote nationalism amongall pakistanis. He ensured his all-outcooperation to continue and increased suchcultural exchange visits. the vice chancellorpaid special thanks to piLAC DG Dr. sughrasadaf and pU pVC Dr. saleem Mazhar formaking this exchange visit all a success.

During the discussion issues related tonational and local languages were ponderedupon at a length and the dialogueparticipants emphasized that Urdu should beofficially recognized and given dueimportance as the language ofcommunication in pakistan as per the visionof Quaid i Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnahwhile regional and local languages should notbe crushed rather protected and promoted ina way that more words are added to Urdudictionary from local and regional languages.

Other members of KpK Delegation includedRenowned calligrapher and poet from swatshams-ul-iqbal shams, Bakhtyar Khattakfrom Arts and media press, Zafar Ali Ustad,Rabab Nawaz peshawar, Dr Amjid saleemfrom peshawar university, syeda Haseena Gulfrom Malakand Raod Mardan, BushraFarukh, poet Nasir Ali syed and pareshaanDawoodzai. Zahoor Ahmad from ConsumerCourt Distt swat.

While other members from punjabUniversity side included Dean of Behaviouraland social sciences Dr. Umbreen Javed, prof.Dr. Zahid Munir Aamer (Chairperson UrduDept), pU iCs in-charge Director Dr. Noshinasaleem, Dr. Waqar Malik (iCs), Dr. shabbirsarwar (iCs), Dr. Abdul Majid Nadeem(Arabic), Dr. Aman Ullah (Law College), Drsyed Muhammad Fareed (persian), prof. Dr.Hamid Ashraf Hamdani (Arabic),

Hassan Jalil Raja (punjab Rang) and piLACDeputy Director Muhammad Asim Chaudhry.

Dr. shabbir sarwar Asked the KpK delegatesthat why taliban and other extremist targetedschools, especially girl schools and what roleKpK intellectuals, poets and academia playedto changed their mindset.

Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai said terrorists needheadcounts, more are better for them andchildren are an easy target.

pU media studies assistant professor Dr.Waqar Malik argued that there should be

uniform education system in the country. Hebelieved that unless and until there is no singlesystem of education, nationalism cannot bepromoted as the students of a seminary and thestudents of 'O &'A' cannot sit together due tocultural differences. Dr. Abaseen supported thesignificance of uniform education system.

However, Dr. Amjid saleem from peshawarUniversity english Department, said thatdiversity was very important and choices ofpeople should not be suppressed in the name ofunification. He said diversity and different

cultures together promote nationalism.Dr. Muhammad saleem Mazhar, pU pro

vice chancellor and Dean Oriental Learning,seconded the idea while saying thattannawwoo or diversity was very significantin nations as this reflect different colour ofthe nation like colorful flowers in a garden.On the other hand, monotony createsdullness and ugliness.

Mr. Rohan Yousafzai from express Newspeshawar, argued that distorted and incorrecthistory has been made part of the educationalcurriculum. the government and academiamust take corrective measures becauseconnection to history is important for betterpresent and future.

prof. Dr. Zahid Munir Aamer, ChairmanUrdu Department at punjab University, saidhistory is important to study and no one stopspeople to study true version of the availablehistory accounts. He said Urdu language hasnot been given its due status. He supported theidea of protecting and promoting regionallanguages while recognizing them as nationallanguages. He said all human being are fromone father and mother, Adam and eve, theprovinces and regions are just for recorgnitionand identification as mentioned in Holy Quranthat tribes are for identity.

Dr. Noshina saleem, the in-charge director ofpU iCs, argued that national media was nothighlighting the provincial and regionalcultures in a true representative manner. shesaid ptV used to give time to all provinces andall regions of the country depicting theircultural identities. she elaborated her pointthat there should be a national policy of ournational media to promote nationalism.

Dr. sughra sadaf said this cultural exchangevisit was proving extremely beneficial for bothsides as it was proving people from both theprovinces to interact and build bridges.

poets from both sides including Dr. Nasir Alisyed, Dr Zahid Munir Aamer, Dr MuhammadKamran, Dr. sughra sadaf, Dr. AbaseenYousafzai and others presented their poetry.

to a query, the KpK delegation informed thepunjabis that tourism industry has onceagainst started flourishing in their province inthe wake of peace and better securityconditions. they said that areas of Kalam,Bahreen, Malam Jabba, Khamrat andMohodant were worth visiting and re-explored.

in the end the vice chancellor Dr. NiazAhmad and pro vice chancellor Dr. saleemMazhar presented souvenirs to all delegates.

the delegations also visited Data Darbarshrine, Walled City, Badshahi Mosque, Allamaiqbal tomb and other historical places inLahore. the delegation members praisedpiLAC and pU hospitality and expressed theirresolve to recoprocrate and invite a delegationfrom pU to peshawar University, KpK soon. g

kPk-Punjab poets, professors say Urdu,regional languages vital for nationalismg 12 members KpK delegation visits pu g inter-provincial exchange visits bridge gaps and promote nationalism: pu VC

pu pVC dr. Saleem Mazhar, dr. abaseen Yousafzai from peshawar university, piLaC dg dr. Sughra Sadafand KpK poet nasir ali Syed listen to a comment.

pu VC dr. niaz ahmad presents a shield to KpK delegation leader prof. dr. abaseen Yousafzai,Chairman pashtu department at peshawar university during their visit to pu. piLaC dg dr.Sughra Sadaf is also present.

publisher and editor Shabbir Sarwar, printed at intekhab-e-Jadeed press, 8 abbot Road, and circulated from 130-J gulberg iii, Lahore.

LaHoRe: punjab governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and pHeC Chairperson dr. Fazal ahmad Khalid discuss issues of higher education of province. educationists across the countryhave expressed their serious concern about HeC and pHeC budget cuts and urged the pti government to reconsider this important issue.

3rd inter-provincial conference held onalternative Renewable energy policy

Staff report

LAHORE: energy think tank (ett) organised 3rd inter-provincial conference at LUMs as the day-long eventgeared towards promoting alternative and renewableenergy projects in the country, bring up issues confrontingthe current energy mix to enhance the share of alternativerenewable energy versus the fossils fuel energy therebyachieving the goals of energy sustainability and security.Affordability and Availability on where needed and whenneeded basis in a long term time horizon. the workshopwas organized in collaboration with the Government ofpunjab, LUMs, Vestas and Descon.

it is worth mentioning here that the ett formed recentlyis a group of professionals from across the energy sectorValue chain and its ancillary service entities, who havevoluntarily gathered on bipartisan basis with the principleaim of building consensus among stakeholders andenriching pool of cross functional knowledge data base thatleads to optimised solutions for pakistan’s energy sector ona sustainable basis” this forum is providing opportunitiesthrough interactive workshops and conferences toexchange of ideas and propose recommendations forresolving persisting issues of the energy sector at bothprovincial and national level. ett holds first conference inpeshawar and Quetta.

1. “My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religionin the world.”

2. “i do not have any formal education. What use is education when wedo not become human beings? My school is the welfare of humanity.”

3. “never take anyone’s death to heart Bilquis. Remember god bythe equality with which He implements it. nobody is different, therichest to the poorest, from here to the end of the globe face itequally. What an example of equality.”

4. “So, many years later there were many who still complained andquestioned, ‘Why must you pick up Christians and Hindus in yourambulance?’ and i was saying, ‘Because the ambulance is moreMuslim than you’.”

5. “empty words and long praises do not impress god. Show Him yourfaith by your deeds.”

top 5 qUoteS of edhi