RAWALPINDI, June 23: Board of Governors (BoG) of the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, in its meeting held in Islamabad on Saturday, approved budget for 2007- 08 and development projects, which would allow construction of new building blocks at Karachi and Peshawar campuses and hostels for students.

The meeting, chaired by Rector of the University Dr Amir Mohammad, also approved creation of bodies such as Academic Council Faculties Board and the Board of Advanced Studies and Research.

The Board of Governors noted that the credibility of the university had further been enhanced in its ability to attract Rs260 million under the Outreach Scholarship Programme of the Ministry of Information Technology, under which 200 students from far-flung areas of the country were studying at its campuses in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on the expense being born by the government. The number has been further enhanced to 300 this year by the IT ministry.

The meeting was also satisfied to note that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had already approved the university for funding of the projects of the university under 50 per cent equity and 75 PhD students were being sponsored by the HEC on its campuses.

The establishment of Microsoft Innovation Centre at Karachi by ‘Microsoft’ was another feather in its cap.

The Centre for Research in Urdu Language Processing at its Lahore campus has worked extensively on Urdu linguistics, standardisation for computing, and modelling of script, speech and language.

The centre has already completed E-Government project of the Pakistani government worth Rs35.6 million and Pan Localisation project of International Development Centre for Research of Canadian government worth $1.7 million.

Another project worth $2.7 million is underway with the collaboration of Canadian government. The centre is also collaborating with Nokia, Microsoft, University of Chicago and other national, regional and international organisations globally.