KARACHI, Aug 3: The Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) is seeking foreign collaboration for imparting on-line technical education.

This was stated at a meeting of the University’s Board of Governors which met here Saturday under the chairmanship of Vice- Chancellor, Prof Dr Syed Nazir Ahmed.

The Board meeting was attended, among others, by nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan, Dr Nabi Bux Baluch, Justice Sarmad Usmani, Zakir Ali Khan, Afzal Munif and Brig (Retd) Qamarussalam.

On the occasion, the board gave an approval to revised estimates of 2001-2002 budget, presented by the honorary treasurer, showing total receipts at Rs 190 million as against the budgeted receipts of Rs 184 million.

The actual expenditure stood at Rs 226 million as against the estimated expenditure of Rs 240 million.

The deficit which was estimated at Rs 56 million was, however, reduced to Rs 36 million, Afzal Munif informed the meeting.

Later, Afzal Munif told newsmen in a briefing that redeeming features of the year was that the university was allotted a plot of 200 acres by the Sindh government on the recommendation of President Pervez Musharraf for university’s expansion and setting up of an internet city in Karachi.

The Aga Khan University, too, has been allotted 300 acres in the same area which is going to come up as an “educational city” in the next few years.

He said that the SSUET had planned to set up an internet city in Karachi at a cost of Rs 500 million, to be spent over five years period, with the cooperation of Dubai Internet City which is functioning successfully as a private sector institution.

It is expected that once this city is established, it will bring substantial foreign investment, Afzal Munif said.

Afzal Munif said in the meeting SSEUT’s Rs1 million surplus budget for 2002-2003 was also presented with expected total receipts being at Rs 207 million and estimated expenditure at Rs 206 million. The Board gave an approval to the budget.

The honorary treasurer informed the meeting that the SSUET is only nine year-old but has been able to present a budget of 207 million as against the 100-year old NED University which approved a budget of 214 million, including almost 40 per cent government grant.

Dr Qadeer Khan, appreciated the progress made by the university in such a short span.

Afzal Munif informed that as against the receipts of Rs 207 million, the university will spend over Rs 7 million on scholarships to needy students.

In the budget, a capital allocation of Rs 20 million has been made for setting up an IT block in the university premises.

The Board was informed that the SSUET has set up a software technology innovation department which is rendering software development services not only in Pakistan but abroad also, including the US. —APP