By Abdul Qadir Qureshi(Pakistan News & Features Services)
The new academic year 2016 commenced at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, with the Orientation Session held for the new entrants of Batch 2016 at the Expo Centre on January 12.
It has been a tradition to organize the Orientation Session to familiarize the newly admitted students of the university about their respective engineering and non-engineering fields by the chairpersons of the respective departments.
Addressing the session the SSUET Chancellor, Jawaid Anwar, in his thought provoking speech apprised the students about their present and future responsibilities.
The SSUET, he pointed out, has a distinction that here the teachers are teaching their pupils on best possible lines while on the other the students are demonstrating their best capabilities in the context of acquisition of knowledge.
“During the last 17 convocations, the Chancellor said, while on one hand the students passing out from here are rendering significant services for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan, on the other they are occupying important positions in the whole of world because of their academic and technical capabilities.”
“It is a matter of pride for Sir Syed University and it should be our equal responsibility to maintain this honour,” he exhorted.
He reminded that after the creation of Pakistan, the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) has been pursuing the educational philosophy and footprints of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and it was in this very context that SSUET was brought into being.
“We have all along been endeavored to promote an educational environment in this university in keeping with the mission of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
On the occasion the Chancellor read out a quotation from a speech of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and said no doubt the same is the centre of our ambitions as well.
Chancellor Jawaid Anwar said that Sir Syed’s speeches and publications testified the fact that he wanted to see the children of the nation as custodian of a bright future and always stressed upon making curricular and non-curricular activities as purposeful and bounded with morality so that a society could be brought into being which despite being developed and modernized, which may have the reflection of Islamic norms and tradition.
He said that it was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan which infused a power of action into the subjugated Muslims of South Asia, which ultimately led to the creation of beloved Pakistan within half a century after his death.
“The founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah also kept similar sentiments with reference to the youth and always emphasized upon augmentation of their education and training.” he added.
He said that attitudes have witnessed a change because of change in the focus on educational system which has led to mental confusion.
“It has, therefore, become imperative to prepare yourself in the light of Aligarh spirit, role of the seniors and practical steps.”
He told them that it is this very age where character building is done and, therefore they should not waste their age in useless activities. He advised them that they would have create innovation and singularity in their attitudes which may conform the scientific priorities. So that they could achieve a better future after having finished their academic career for which purpose the university did have counseling arrangements.
As regards the non-curricular activities, the Chancellor said that university students have won score of honors in this context and they have to carry these traditions forward.
The Chancellor said that today they are going to start a new chapter of their life which would be an era of their future-making and, thus, improve their moral and professional life during this era so that they could introduce themselves as a successful person in their family and national life.
Earlier Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi, welcomed the new entrants and highlighted the importance of the orientation day. He exhorted them that during their stay in this institution they will be expected of realizing their vital responsibilities so as to serve the country and nation in a more effective manner.
On the occasion, the chairpersons of Computer, Electronics, Telecom, Bio-Med. Civil, Electrical and Soft ware engineering and Computer Science Architecture and Bio-Informatics departments apprised the new entrants about the salient features of their respective fields.
The Registrar, Mumtaz-ul-Imam, gave an introduction about the AMUOBA the sponsors of SSUET, sports, literary and culture forum, financial assistance, scholarships library medical center and various curricular activities.
The Dean of Engineering, Prof Dr S M Makhdoomi also welcomed the students while Prof Dr Najeeb Siddiqi gave an introduction of Continued Education Program me and the CISCO Academy. The Advisor to Chancellor, Siraj Khilji, gave an introduction about Career Planning and Placement Bureau of the university.
By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
