PESHAWAR, March 7: The Higher Education Commission has approved Rs 20.289 million for a 15-year developmental plan of the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology (UET).’s 15-year developmental plan.

The project, called ‘Vision Plan’, aims at bringing about improvements in academic, research and teaching areas by increasing the strength of faculty and providing physical infrastructure support.

Vice-Chancellor Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, it may be mentioned here, had submitted a proposal for the university’s development to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) of the Planning Commission of the Federal Government Planning Commission.

In a meeting of faculty members held on Tuesday, The vice-chancellor appreciated the HEC’s policy of encouraging capacity building, enhancement of universities in terms of human resources development, introducing advanced engineering disciplines, and strengthening research facilities, including laboratories and technical facilities.

With the HEC’s financial support, he said, the university would now be able to improve the standard of teaching. He said the university would strengthen and develop the infrastructure to improve the image of the university. He said that higher education was the real agent for development of any country and greater opportunities for engineering education in the country reflected a positive trend.

He said under the Vision Plan, he said that the university would set up a new campus in Jalozai, initially at a cost of Rs27million. The campus would later be strengthened at an estimated cost of Rs3.849 million after completion of the project. The project includes establishment of centres of excellence, including up-gradation of the Earthquake Engineering Centre to the level of an institute and the setting up of a gem stones & mineral development centre.

He said that enrolment of students would be increased from 3,083 o 17,300 by the time of completion of the project and the number of the faculty members would be increased from the present 244 to 1,153 with a teacher-student ratio of 1:15.

The university’s Director Finance & Planning Mohammad Sarwar Khan said that Rs9,449.41 million would be spent only on civil works under the project for establishing and strengthening departments, allied campuses and centres of excellence during specific period.

A technology Park will be established with a cost of Rs80 million.

He said so far 22 faculty members had been sent abroad for PhD, while a huge amount has had been earmarked for human resource development that would mainly included faculty development and management training programme. He said a

Another Rs400 million will be spent to develop new academic linkages with foreign engineering universities. The project will be completed by 2020, he added.