ISLAMABAD, Feb 10: Higher Education Commission (HEC) will establish a centre for industrial information technology (control and automation) at the electrical engineering department in University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila.

According to a press release, the Rs39 million project will be completed within a period of two years.

The main objective of the project is to provide laboratory facilities for ‘teaching control systems’ related courses for undergraduate students in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, telecom engineering, mechanical engineering and industrial engineering.

The university is planning to develop faculty through indigenous Ph.D programme of the HEC. The project will provide infrastructure as well as environment for capacity building, faculty development, teaching/research infrastructure for carrying out Ph.D research in automation and control.

Economic development and industrial progress of a country is only possible through technological advancement and advancement in technical education.

The statement said, in Pakistan, no linkage was present between the universities and industry. Therefore, the HEC is focusing on projects aimed at creating a direct linkage between university education, research and activities, and requirement of industries.

The project will provide high-tech manpower to industry sector at reasonable cost. It will also enable industrial and services sector to improve the quality and cost of its products.

About 600 graduates will benefit from the centre by the year 2007 and 160 postgraduates by the year 2010. These professionals will contribute towards development in private industry, defence industry, automation of electric utilities to minimize losses and related fields as per policy of the government.

The project will help provide facilities at undergraduate level and for research leading to masters and Ph.D. It will also help in upgrading professional competence of in-service engineers and technologists, and expanding industrial IT base in the country.