KARACHI, Feb 19: Over 1,770 fresh graduates and postgraduates of the NED University of Engineering and Technology were given degrees at its 19th convocation held on the main campus on Saturday. NED Vice Chancellor Engineer Abul Kalam presided over the convocation as Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad could not make it. The chief guest on the occasion was Prof Ian M. May of the UK's Heriot-Watt University while the university's pro vice chancellor, Dr Muzzaffar Mahmood, presented the university vice chancellor's report.

Of the total 1,771 fresh graduates, in all 1,379 (1,179 of bachelor's degree programme and 200 of master's degree programme) received their degrees from the vice chancellor in person while the remaining ones were awarded degrees in absentia.

Recipients of the bachelor's degree belonging to 13 disciplines of engineering — Civil engineering (99), Mechanical engineering (31), Industrial & Manufacturing engineering (71), Electrical engineering (42), Computer Systems engineering (22), Electronics engineering (35), Telecommunications engineering (26), Environmental engineering (23), Textile engineering (four), Chemical engineering (13), Materials engineering (14), Urban & Regional Planning (five) and Computer Science & Information Technology ( 45).

Besides, there were 181 fresh postgraduates, who were awarded degrees of Masters of Engineering/MCIT/MURP.

Presenting the university's report, PVC Dr Mahmood said that in addition to students from the former solitary five-year undergraduate programme in Architecture, 49 students from two five-year engineering programmes (26 in Bio-Engineering and 23 in Medical Engineering) had also graduated for the first time. The university alone had taken the initiative of extending these classes to five years because inclusion of at least three major subjects of medical curriculum was unavoidable, he added.

He elaborated that the university also took yet another initiative by admitting Pre-medical Higher Secondary School Certificate holders also to one-fourth of the available seats and this had been made these programmes remarkably popular.

He said that the university had not yet opened its doctorate degree programme to outsiders as it was still restricted to the university's faculty members.

In this regard, he pointed out that the UK's Heriot-Watt University's Prof Ian May had not only been responsible for enabling several young faculty members of the university to acquire doctorate degrees but also in earlier years had supervised doctorate degree programmes of one dean and examined one pro vice chancellor.

Later, Prof Ian May was given a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his services.

Earlier, Prof Abul Kalam felicitated the fresh graduates and their parents and hoped that they would serve the country by proving their mettle in their respective fields.

The first research award was presented to the NED University's pro vice chancellor-II, Prof Dr Sahibzada Farooq Ahmad Rafeeqi, for having over 60 research publications in the field of civil engineering to his credit.