120 IU students get scholarships

Iqra University (IU) Islamabad Campus on Thursday awarded scholarships to 120 talented students enrolled in the graduate and undergraduate programs of the university, says a press release.

In this a scholarships award ceremony was held at the main hall of the campus with Dean / Director Dr. Muhammad Islam in the chair.

"I am delighted to see such bright students who have dedicated themselves to a life of learning, scholarship and service, " said Dr Muhammad Islam.

He added that Iqra University high-ups are confident that the seeds being planted today through these scholarships would bear fruits for the benefit of the country.

The ceremony was attended besides others by heads of all departments and faculty members from the departments of Management Sciences, Fashion and Textile Design, Software Engineering, Electronics Engineering and Social Sciences.

The recipients of 3.5 and above CGPA were granted upto 60 percent waiver on the tuition fee. Parents and families of students also attended the awarded ceremony and celebrated their children's success with joy. 

ACCA students allowed training at ICAP-approved firms

The Lahore High Court Thursday allowed students of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to gain professional training experience in accounting firms/training organisations established in Pakistan.
However, the court held that preference would be given to students doing local qualification of Institute of Chartered Accountant of Pakistan (ICAP).

UoG faculty learn usage of digital library

GUJRAT: Higher Education Commission (HEC) library experts on Thursday showed the ropes to more than 100 faculty members at the main IT lab in Al Farabi Block of University of Gujrat’s Hafiz Hayat Campus.

Experts Muhammad Rashid Pervez and Javed Murtaza Lodhi held three sessions in which they provided hands-on training to the participants, including MPhil and PhD scholars, from various departments.

The participants learned how to effectively use various software tools and techniques to get access to the treasure trove of knowledge stored in the HEC digital library, as well as download, copy and store the targeted material in different formats and locations.

The experts told the participants that the e-database set up by the HEC would go a long way in facilitating the researchers in country’s different universities to accomplish their projects.

UoG chief librarian Kazim Ali Syed said the entire concept of library had changed during the current technological age.

“E-books and other digitalised material, which can be accessed from anywhere on the internet, have given a new impetus to various research methodologies to help establish new concepts and theories and set the pace of technological progress at unprecedented levels,” Kazim Ali Syed said.

ACCIDENT: An employee of the University of Gujrat was killed after a UoG bus hit his motorbike along Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan Road near Shah Bhula village on Thursday.

Reports said 22-year-old Saeed, an attendant at the varsity’s economics department, was on his way to the Hafiz Hayat campus by a motorbike when the university bus carrying at least 80 students hit him, killing him on the spot.

Earlier, Saeed’s father had also died in a road accident whereas an uncle of the deceased also works at the university as a bus driver.

The incidence of accidents on Gujrat-Jalalpur Jattan Road has increased during the last some years owing to the surge in volume of traffic.

Most of the accidents occurred on this road involved motorbikes as a good number of educational institutions apart from the UoG are situated along the thoroughfare.

As many as 70 official buses of the university use this road daily, transporting faculty members and students. Apart from the university fleet, public buses, vans, cars and trucks also use this road for travelling from Gujrat to Jalalpur Jatan, Tanda, Karianwala and Marala Headworks, Sialkot.

The Punjab government has already been requested by the Gujrat distirct administration, the UoG management and the elected representatives of the area to construct a dual carriageway as traffic would further increase following the construction of Shahbazpur Bridge over the Chenab linking Gujrat with the Sialkot International Airport.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2017

Rural schoolgirls to be made computer-literate

ISLAMABAD: A project to turn 33,000 schoolgirls in the rural areas of the federal capital “computer literate” was launched by the Ministry of Information Technology on Thursday.

Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rahman Khan and Minister of State for CADD Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry watched the signing ceremony of two agreements to establish computer labs in more than 100 government schools for girls which launched the project.

State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rahman Khan said her ministry’s Universal Services Fund (USF) signed one agreement with the Federal Directorate of Education for setting up computer labs and another with Microsoft for training over 90 teachers to run the computer labs.

Welcoming the project and the signing of the two MoUs, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar praised the efforts of the people and institutions involved in promoting ICT amongst girls from rural areas. He said progress was being made to build a digital and financially inclusive Pakistan.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the project will help in bridging the IT and education gap between the urban and rural areas of Pakistan Under the project, state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities and trained human resources will be provided to the selected girl schools at primary, middle and secondary level in rural areas of Islamabad, the gathering was told.

In addition, these schools will be ensured operational and maintenance support for three years.

This special project aims to train schoolgirls of rural background in digital coding skills and building early stage aptitude for ICT related careers. The project is expected to empower them by equipping them with modern IT knowledge and opening the doors of the IT sector to them.

Centre for advanced studies set up UET in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, with the financial assistance of the USAID, has established a centre for advanced studies in energy sector.

A team of experts and media professionals paid a visit to the centre,

Young students perform at bilingual drama festival

PESHAWAR: The Beaconhouse School System, Frontier Campus for Girls in Hayatabad, on Thursday organized a bilingual drama festival to promote creative skills of students and familiarize them with their culture, traditions and values.

The spring festival was organized at the end of the academic session in the school to get its students engaged in co-curriculum activities.Dr Fatima Shaheen, wife of Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC), was the chief guest on the occasion.

Khyber Agency students demand scholarships

JAMRUD, 13 February: The students of Khyber Agency on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the suspension of ‘political agent scholarship’ and demanded of the federal government to release political scholarship for the students of the tribal region.

Candidates allege anomalies in appointment of VCs

PESHAWAR: Showing dissatisfaction over the procedure adopted for appointment of vice-chancellors at various public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a number of candidates have urged the government to declare it null and void. Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, many candidates led by Dr Shafiqur Rahman questioned the process and procedure adopted by search committee for appointment of vice-chancellors.

UET Kohat campus students end strike

KOHAT: Students of Kohat campus of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, ended a weeklong strike on Wednesday following assurance by MPA Ziaullah Bangash to refer their case of recognition of degree by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to the standing committee on education of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Students protest cancellation of laptop distribution event

BAHAWALPUR: Students on Wednesday protested cancellation of chief minister’s visit to the city, who was to distribute laptops among college and university students at Islamia University’s Baghdadul Jadid campus.

The students were holding placards inscribed with slogans against cancellation of the CM’s visit, saying it deprived them of laptops they were expecting to get.

Australia announces Video Competition and Study tour

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission invites schools from across Pakistan to participate in the Pakistan Schools’ Video Competition 2017 and win a study trip to a leading Australian university.

The competition invites students to submit short films around the theme of “Internet of Things (IOT).” It aims to broaden the horizons of students from Pakistan and expose them to new study options, particularly in fields that link to careers of the future.

The winners of Pakistan Schools’ Video Competition 2017 will have the opportunity to visit University of Technology Sydney with cost of return flights and accommodation paid.

Each school can nominate a team of two students and one teacher. The winning team will have the opportunity to visit the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

Students artwork promotes pro-democracy narrative

ISLAMABAD: Students of different educational institutions on Wednesday received awards and cash prizes for securing positions in competitions held across the country under the Hum Sab ka Pakistan campaign.

The themes for the competitions were democracy, tolerance and inclusiveness.

Urdu varsity given a year to vacate WAPDA property

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting Wapda’s plea in which it sought eviction of its building from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday granted a year to the university to operate in the building as currently more than 5,000 students were enrolled there.

The Islamabad campus of the Federal Urdu University is being run in Wapda House in G-7 on rent since 2003. However due to some reasons, Wapda filed a lawsuit with the Rent Controller Islamabad in 2012 seeking vacation of its property. The decision went in favour of Wapda.

KU students highlight street children's plight

KARACHI: A group of 10 students of the Karachi University’s (KU) department of sociology and criminology researched the plight and different socio-economic issues faced by displaced children living on the streets of Karachi. The results of the research were shared at a programme held at a hotel on Wednesday.

The researchers exposed a gloomy picture of children living on the streets in which they chiefly focused on socio-economic issues, as well as the vulnerability of these displaced children, who had been forced by either natural or man-made disasters to move toward unknown destinations.

FUUAST may operate in WAPDA building: SC

ISLAMABAD: Turning down a plea from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) seeking to evict the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology from one of its buildings in Islamabad, the top court on Wednesday granted the varsity a one-year reprieve.

However, the university would have to complete construction of its new campus by then, vacate the building and pay the utility due rent.