GUJRAT: The University of Gujrat (UoG) administration has planned to shift four science disciplines from its city campuses to the main Hafiz Hayat campus due to lack of facilities in laboratories.

Unlike the city campuses -- Government College for Boys, GT Road, Government College for Girls, Marghzar Colony, and Fatima Jinnah College, Railway Road, the Hafiz Hayat campus had fully equipped labs and teachers from other campuses had to travel along with students to the main campus twice a week to utilise the lab there.

The administration had launched botany, zoology, physics and chemistry eight years ago at the city campuses to get hold of three government colleges, as there was stiff resistance by their administrations, teachers and students. These varsities were made constituent colleges of the UoG in 2004.

But the UoG could not establish modern labs for the science subjects at the city campuses and the faculty and students shuttled between the city and Hafiz Hayat campuses twice a week.

However, sources in the UoG told Dawn that Vice Chancellor Dr Ziaul Qayyum had directed the officials concerned of the varsity to make arrangements for shifting the four disciplines to the Hafiz Hayat campus. Statistics, mathematics and some other subjects could be shifted to the city campuses from the main campus so students who had to use the science labs could be facilitated.

City campuses lack fully equipped laboratories

The vice chancellor had also chaired a daylong meeting of the officials concerned at his office on Tuesday in which pros and cons of the shifting were discussed.

Meanwhile, the UoG syndicate in its last meeting held before Eidul Fitr had approved hiring services of the chairmen and deans of different faculties for its evening programmes being run in the city campuses since there were no supervisory officials available. It was also decided that salaries of the chairmen and deans would be increased for two to three hours of their time for the evening programmes.

A varsity official requesting anonymity claimed academic activities at the city campuses had been neglected for long. It seemed now the management was serious about strengthening the academics instead of “cosmetic and image-building activities” only.

He said sociology, psychology and education were likely to be started for girls only in two city campuses -- Marghzar College and Railway Road college.

British MPs visit UoG: A delegation of British parliament members and British Council, Pakistan, visited the University of Gujrat (UoG) on Wednesday.

The parliamentarians included Yasmin Qureshi, Catherine West, Rehman Chishti, Hannah Bardell and Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh.

UoG Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum briefed the delegates about the UoG and highlighted the services of British Council of Pakistan for the institutions of Pakistan.

He said the promotion of self-reliance and entrepreneurship among the students was need of time for revolutionary changes in Pakistan.

He said the responsibility of universities was to promote social action programmes for a sustainable development.

Yasmin Qureshi said the UoG was performing its social duties according to the needs of society. Catherine West said that educational and intellectual activities at the varsity were true depiction of its commitment towards social progress.

Rehman Chishti said the UoG was rapidly growing as a modern varsity of Pakistan promoting positive changes in society while Hannah Bardell was of the view that research projects could help society achieve economic development in various fields of life.

Tasmina Ahmed Sheikh said efforts of the UoG would help society address several issues.

A documentary about different projects, achievements and future prospects of the UoG was also displayed during this meeting. Among the representatives of British Council were Amy Hickson, Shazia Khawar, Sarah Parvez, Siobhan Foster, Peter Upton, Hamza Salim, Saad Bajwa, Tristan Ace, Jim Booth, Arsalan Rabbani and Dan Gregory.

They appreciated the role and achievements of UoG for striving for sustainable development and thorough social progress through different projects.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2015

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