HYDERABAD, July 19: The University of Sindh has decided to establish the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology and offer four-year BS degree from the next academic session 2008.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee formed by the Vice Chancellor to set up parameters and explore the need for establishing the department.

The BS degree in anthropology and archaeology will come under the Faculty of Science. The university will hire services of Dr Mukhtiar Kazi founder Dept of Archaeology at Shah Abdul Latif University, Syed Hakim Ali Shah an archaeologist, and other scholars.

Anthropology and archaeology will also be introduced at college level starting with selected degree colleges at district level in the first phase like the universities of Punjab and Peshawar had done. Experts and services will be hired from different varsities, including the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad. The posts of anthropologists and archaeologists will be advertised.

The VC also formed a four-member committee to carry out survey and recommend suitable site for the new department.

The meeting assigned the responsibility to Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences to prepare scheme of study and syllabus and PC-I for programme. It decided that the university would allocate funds for starting work and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) will be asked to provide financial support.

The meeting was presided over by the Vice Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui while Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, Dean Faculty of Natural Science Dr M.Y. Khuhawar, Dr Neelofar Shaikh Chairperson Dept of Archaeology Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Muhammad Saleh Rajar Registrar, Prof Khalida Shaikh Chairperson Dept of Sociology, Prof Izzat Khowaja from department of Criminology, professor Lal Jiskani visiting faculty of Pakistan Study Centre and Mushtaq Alley Qureshi, additional registrar attended the meeting.