KARACHI, Oct 22: The University of Karachi will set up an institute of sugar technology at the campus in collaboration with sugar mill owners.
Sources in the university said that postgraduate research courses would be conducted at the planned institute, while a couple of laboratories would also be established in liaison with different sugar industries in areas where sugar canes were being cultivated.
The institute would not only provide technical information to the industries, but would also act as a solution provider, the sources said, adding that technology should also be developed for producing citric acid from molasses.
The initial details regarding the projects had been discussed recently at a meeting between the representatives of sugar mills and the vice chancellor of the university, Dr Zafar Sayed Saify.
Under the plan the mill owners would provide money for construction of the institute’s building on a piece of land provided by the university.
It was learnt that sugar mill owners would extend their support for acquisition of laboratory equipment and other accessories. The institute would work under the Department of Food Science and Technology, which would be shifted to the new institute’s premises.
Details of the project would be prepared by in-charge of the KU Food Science department and sugar industries jointly. The students graduating from the different science departments, including the Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Technology and Biochemistry, would be admitted to the research courses, added the sources.
Meanwhile, the vice chancellor of the university told Dawn that the project work regarding establishment of medical college and hospital was in progress and the university, with the cooperation of its alumni, particularly the pharmacy graduates living abroad, would finalize the execution of the project soon.
He said that the university administration intended to introduce loan facilities to its students with a fund generated through the KU alumni trust. He said that presently an amount of Rs2.5 million was lying with the trust, which would be increased further under a formal campaign.
He said that about 4000 students would be imparted education and training in different departments of Information Technology every year at the Umair Basha Institute of IT, being established at the campus.
SCHOLARSHIP: The University of Karachi and the Mitsubishi Corporation have entered into an agreement for establishing an international scholarship, under which five students of the university will be provided scholarships for four academic years.
The corporation, through its branch in Karachi, will give an amount in Pakistani rupees equivalent to the value of Yen 19,992 for one recipient per academic year at the under-graduate level and Yen 30,000 per recipient per academic year at graduate level.
A recipient could get scholarship for a maximum four academic years, subject to annual renewal and provided that the recipient is not disqualified due to reasons stipulated in the agreement.
The scholarship will be suspended or cancelled after consultation with the University of Karachi in case the recipient could not continue his study due to any reasons, his study record turns out to be unsatisfactory, or the general manager of Mitsubishi Corporation, Karachi, deems it appropriate to suspend or cancel the scholarship, a KU official said.
ADMIT CARDS: The University of Karachi has dispatched the admits cards of external candidates of BA Parts I and II at their address, said a KU notification on Monday.
TEACHERS’ DEMO: A group of teachers, Concerned About Human Survival, organized a protest demonstration against the ongoing US-led attack on Afghanistan, at the campus on Monday.
Though limited in number, the teachers from different departments of the university demonstrated near the Audio Visual centre of the arts faculty and later marched through the arts lobby.
They were holding banners and placards which read: “stop war against Afghanistan”, “No to War”, “An eye for an eye leaves the world blind” and “Let people decide their own future.”
NEW PAY SCALE: The Karachi University Teachers’ Society held a seminar on the government’s scheme of new pay scale on Monday. Deputy Controller, Ministry of Finance, Najmus Saqib, apprised the teachers about the details of the scheme.
KUTS’ secretary Dr Shakeel Farooqui and Muhammad Ahmed Qadeer also spoke on the occasion.
