KARACHI, Sept 26: The Academic Council of the University of Karachi has approved the proposal to start B.Com Honours and Masters degree courses in Petroleum Technology and Environmental Studies (morning classes) from academic session 2004. It has also approved listing of these courses in the prospectus of the university.

The council also gave its approval to the admission policy-2004 after a comprehensive discussion and formed an admission committee. Dr Mudassiruddin has been named as director of the committee whereas the other members are Dr Abuzar Wajidi, Prof Sikandar Mehdi, Dr Mohammad Iqbal, Prof Zahida Maqsood, Prof Afaq Ahmed Siddiqui, Dr Majid Mumtaz and Dr Ishaq Mansoori.

The university already offers Masters degree courses in Petroleum Technology and Environmental Studies under its evening programme. However, B.Com Honours is a fresh programme and expected to attract a large number of students.

A spokesman for the KU told PPI on Friday that the academic council, which met here the other day with Dr Saify in the chair, also granted affiliation to two private educational institutions for their MBA courses.

He said that following submission of inspection report by the Secretary, Affiliation Committee, University of Karachi, the council granted affiliation to Defence School of Business Education for its MBA degree programme in morning shift with 50 seats. The Hashmat Memorial College of Education has also been granted affiliation for its B.Ed degree programme with 100 seats, he added.

He said that the council’s meeting was attended, besides its KU members, by those representing other affiliated colleges in Karachi. It allowed Government Degree College For Women, Korangi-6, to introduce Islamic History as optional subject with 30 seats.

According to the spokesman, as per the academic calendar approved by the council, the academic session-2004 would start from Jan 1, 2004 and end on April 29, 2004. Semester exams would be held from May 5 to 22 and there would be summer holidays from May 23 to July 11.

The second semester would start from July 12 and end on November 8 and the exams would be held from November 20 to December 7. There

would be winter holidays

from December 8 to 31, he declared.

According to the academic council’s decisions, dates for extra-curricular activities/students week would be announced later; the university would observe all federal and provincial gazetted holidays; and the exam dates would remain unchanged.—PPI