KARACHI: The 22nd meeting of the Senate of the University of Karachi (KU) was held on Monday at the Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium and chaired by KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi.

During the meeting, Finance Director Syed Jehanzeb presented the annual statement of accounts for the year 2022-23, the revised budget estimates for 2023-24, and the proposed budget estimates for the fiscal year 2024-25. After detailed discussions, the members approved the agenda, said a KU press release issued here on Monday.

The participants also confirmed the minutes of the 21st Senate meeting held on February 21, 2024. Additionally, the proposal to arrange at least four Syndicate meetings per year was approved by a majority decision.

The Senate members acknowledged that KU VC Prof Iraqi had convened more than five meetings of the Academic Council, Syndicate, and Advanced Studies and Research Board in 2024, involving faculty, Syndicate members, and Senate members on various agendas and topics.

The Senate also passed resolutions to condole the deaths of eminent individuals, Palestinians, and KU faculty and staff members.

Earlier, Prof Iraqi highlighted that despite financial challenges, the university’s ranking has steadily improved, and the number of research journals published by KU has increased to 36.

He pointed out that the rapid rise in inflation and the government’s consistent salary increases without corresponding funding have created financial difficulties for universities across Pakistan, including KU.

The VC informed the members that the Students Financial Aid Office, established in 2006 under the directives of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad, facilitates scholarships for students. In 2006, scholarships totaling Rs6 million were distributed among over 100 students, while in 2023, Rs150m was distributed among more than 1,500 students.

He also provided details about various scholarships available to KU students and highlighted the MPhil, PhD, MS, LLM, Doctor of Medicine, and Doctor of Science degrees awarded between 2019 and 2024.

He appreciated the contributions of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation and the Quality Enhancement Cell in promoting research and other academic activities on campus.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024