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Monday, March 25, 2013

SSUET to continue its role towards promotion of education: Chancellor Nizami


By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

“The Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET) has  achieved a significant place among the top institutions due to the excellence in teaching domain and its students, after getting equipped with knowledge and skills, are serving in the national and international institutions with devotion and dedication.”

This was stated by Engr Z A Nizami, Chancellor, SSUET, in an interview prior to the university’s 16th convocation scheduled to held on March 26 in which Chief Justice of the Sind High Court, Justice Mushir Alam will be the chief guest.

Over 1000 graduates, besides those having done masters, in the disciplines of computer, electronics, civil, teleom and bio-medical engineering will be receiving degrees in their respective engineering disciplines at the convocation.

Pointing out that the outgoing students will embark upon a new phase of life as they are at the threshold of practical life the Chancellor wished all of them a glorious career.

He stated that holding of convocations has been a permanent feature since 1998. “Our convocations have the honour of having been graced by the presence of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors and other dignitaries of the country,” Engr Z A Nizami recalled.
      
“The SSUET has been imparting quality education in the most modern disciplines, which are constantly revolutionizing the human life and adoring it with beauty comfort and ease. The intake of the university has steadily increased from 200 students to the present strength of more than 6,000 students,” he added.

“We have a galaxy of 490 intellectuals in the form of our faculty. Their guidance and extensive knowledge are real strength of this university. The functionaries of the university, with their professional performance, are also playing commendable role in managing its affairs,” he remarked.

“We are fully aware of the highly dynamic global markets, where employers require intelligent dynamic and enthusiastic engineering graduates. This calls us for a role that helps equip the students with knowledge and skills that are commensurate with the demand of the job markets.  The university has already incorporated the modification in teaching methodology that addresses the new demands. This is evident from the employment record of our graduates,” the Chancellor reckoned.

The convocation, he continued, has a significant feature in the sense that the outgoing graduates of the university carry a sense of achievement and fulfillment as they depart from their Alma Mater and it marks the completion of an important phase in their academic life.

He said despite being a technical institution, the university is fully alive to the importance of Islamic teachings.

“The Islamic studies are part of our syllabi. Besides, the Islamic character of the university dominates in its every function. Our Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) had been emphasizing the significance of education. He had advised the Muslims to acquire knowledge from cradle to grave. We impress upon the mind of our students the importance of knowledge in the light of this saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” he added.    

He said that the SSUET strives to discover and disseminate knowledge and to produce young graduates of high caliber, who are able to run the wheels of the country to an enviable destination, through the innovative and modern techniques of teaching.

“In this regard the SSUET has already opened up new avenues and vistas of development in the field of higher education,” the Chancellor believed.

This convocation, he said, has a special significance for all and particularly for the graduating batch, it marks the completion of an important phase and as they enter the next phase, they will look back and feel that the years spent at the SSUET were the best years of their lives.

Chancellor Nizami informed that the SSUET has been offering master programme in the fields of electronics engineering with specializations in telecommunication since 2000, in computer engineering with specializations in computer networking and software engineering since 2001, in civil engineering with specialization in structural engineering started in 2009, ms in biomedical engineering was added in 2009, ms in mathematics was introduced in 2009, ms in computer science was started 2009.

The university, since the commencement of the MS programme, admitted in total 675 students out of which 209 have passed their MS while the SSUET has also been offering Phd programme in computer engineering and electronic engineering disciplines since 2005.

Replying a question the Chancellor pointed out that SSUET is a completely self-reliant institute of learning. The university is recognized by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan while all engineering degree programmes of the university are accredited by the Pakistan Engineering Council.

He mentioned that the SSUET is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and also a member of UNESCO sponsored International Association of Universities.

“The SSUET graduates have been accepted into postgraduate programmes in many reputable universities of the world including Imperial College UK, California State University, USA, Dalhousie University, Canada, and University of Florida, USA. The university has strong links with the local and international industry leaders. These include our programmes of collaboration with siemens, CISCO systems USA, Lockheed Martin, USA, and many other universities,” he revealed 

Chancellor Nizami recalled that the SSUET attained another milestone by getting the prestigious ISO 9001:2013 certification for quality management.

He said to provide the opportunities for delivery of academic programmes in partnership with leading foreign universities that lead to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, MoUs have been signed after the course-matching exercise with Coventry University UK, Hertfordshire University UK and London Metropolitan University UK.

The MoUs provided the facilities of advance entry of our university students into degree courses with credit transfer facilities involving first 2 years study at the SSUET and subsequent two years in UK, first six months class work for MS students in UK and subsequent six months for preparation of thesis/projects in the SSUET under the local supervisors and staff exchange and collaborative research projects.

The Chancellor said that the recently chartered inspection and evaluation committee has placed SSUET in “five-star” category which was another feather in their cap.

To a question Engr Nizami said that he believes that no deserving student be deprived of education due to financial hardship and in this regard the university is very liberal in awarding scholarships to deserving students. Since its inception, the university has awarded more than 13,906 scholarships amounting to Rs 237 million while during the current fiscal year, Rs 45 million allocated for scholarships.

He also spoke at length about the university’s central library having over 75,000 books on latest research and applied engineering and modern engineering, a motivating career planning and placement bureau to guide the students to get suitable job after graduation.

He said the HEC after a thorough evaluation of the working, progress and achievements, holds a very positive view about the university having awarded the SSUET the highest category while being regarded very highly in academic circles as well as the corporate community.

“The most pivotal decision of our life is selection of right career. When the choice of career is to be an engineer than a center of excellence in engineering education is the SSUET known nationally and internationally for its outstanding educational facilities,” he opined.

Engr Nizami emphasized adding that promotion of research culture was always an objective of a university and the SSUET was successfully moving in that direction.

He said that the university faculty members are engaged proactively in research work which has been published in the prestigious journals of international repute.

“We believe, without strict adherence to the parameters of quality education, remarkable progress cannot be achieved. Besides academic activities, the university has shown outstanding performance in extra curricular activities like declamation contests, sports etc and won coveted awards,” he concluded.