By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
The Chancellor Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Engr Z A
Nizami, has expressed the strong conviction that the qualified engineers and
technologists can combat the forces responsible for weak economic conditions of
the country and financial constraints in the way of progress.
“They do have the capacity to find ways and means to transform poverty into
plenty”, he observed in an interview.
The SSUET, he pointed out, has been playing a major role in equipping the youth
with technical education during the last two decades and today its graduates
were working on highly important positions in the national and multi-national
institutions.
“They are serving in army and civil departments successfully and working as
researchers, innovators and making new breakthroughs, not only in Pakistan but also in Europe, US and many other
foreign countries like Australia
and New Zealand ,”
he added.
The university, he said, is working under a well managed system and in order to
achieve its outlying objectives, its strategies are developed in the light of
growing demands and technical knowledge.
Referring to the progress achieved during the last couple of decades,
Chancellor Nizami informed that starting with a budget of mere Rs 17.22 million
in 1994, its annual budget today stood at Rs 712.3 million.
Since its inception, he said, the university has provided latest equipment
worth Rs 370 million to its laboratories besides spending Rs 195 million on
buildings and structures – and all this without any financial assistance from
the government.
Engr Nizami said the performance of the university can be judged from the spate
of admissions being sought by students not only from Karachi but any parts of the country. He said
this year 3878 applications were received for admission to six engineering
disciplines. Of them 374 applicants had secured above 80 percent marks, 1381
above 70 percent marks and rest above 60 percent marks.
He pointed out that starting with a strength of only 200 students in 1994,
SSUET today has over 5600 students on its roll and since 1998, this institution
produced around 9820 graduate engineers.
At present, he said, 22 Ph.Ds were serving as faculty members in various
departments of Computer, Civil, Electronics, Bio-Medical and Telecommunication
engineering besides Computer science while 15 faculty members were pursuing
Ph.D programs from this university and a same number pursuing higher studies
abroad.
Replying a question, the Chancellor said that the university was founded under
the very mission and vision of great educationist and reformer Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan and as such no student is rejected admission merely because of his/her
financial constraint.
He said the university had been liberally assisting deserving and merited
students and during 2011-12 alone, it provided Rs 40 million worth of
scholarship. In addition the University provided Rs 10 million as financial
assistance to deserving students and Rs 2.3 million to deserving employees.
Engr Nizami reiterated that SSUET was the outcome of Aligarh
spirit, which had been inculcated in the members of Aligarh Muslim University
Old Boys Association (AMUOB), the sponsors of the university, during their stay
at Aligarh Muslim University
He said that the AMUOBA had the strong feeling that education and particularly
the technical education provides solution for all the problems of Pakistan and
they wanted to establish the university in conformity with the philosophy of
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and their success crowned in 1994.
The Chancellor pointed out that in order to adorn the students with Aligarh spirit, the
Aligarh Movement is being taught as a subject in the SSUET.
