ISLAMABAD, July 8: The Central Development Working Party at its recent meeting approved a Higher Education Commission project to upgrade the Earthquake Engineering Centre at the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar.

The project had been recommended at the International Earthquake Rehabilitation Conference held at the HEC under the auspices of the NWFP UET.

Speakers from several countries, including the USA, Italy, Turkey and Macedonia, had discussed issues related to seismic hazard assessment, vulnerability of structures, building codes and their implementation and disaster management.

They had recommended upgrading the Earthquake Engineering Centre of the university, established in 2003, to Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology so that it could play an effective role in reducing seismic risk.

The project, to be funded by the HEC, also aims at producing 100 professionals through its postgraduate courses. In addition, 200 professionals will be trained through seminars, workshops and printed material in the field of earthquake engineering and engineering seismology under the project.—APP