BAHAWALPUR, Jan 4: A sum of Rs190 million will be spent on the construction of buildings of an engineering college, a new hostel and an auditorium at the Baghdadul Jadid campus of the Islamia University during the next three years.

This was stated by Islamia University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Munir Akhtar while talking to newsmen here on Saturday.

He said that Rs95 million had already been spent on the construction of educational faculty (Rs40 million), the auditorium (Rs28 million) and girls hostel (Rs27 million).

Classes have already been started in the education faculty with the completion of this building. He said about 25 per cent construction work of the auditorium had been completed while the remaining work would continue during the current calendar year.

At least Rs3 million financial grant had been provided for the upgradation of university laboratories and libraries, he said.

About the promotion of academic sector, Prof Akhtar said that PhD facility had been provided in all disciplines while M.Phil classes had been introduced in five departments.

He said English language certificate courses were also introduced besides opening the centre for excellence in M.A Quran, Tafseer/Fiqah and Hadith. On the demand of students, two new departments of M.A commerce and Pakistan studies had been opened this year, and a large number of students were given admission in the two disciplines.

During the round of university’s central library, the newsmen were informed that about 48,000 books in English had been computerized while 138,000 Urdu books were being computerized.

Three groups of government servants had been trained at the computer science department which was equipped with modern computer laboratories and a basic IT literary centre, he said.

The VC said that teachers were encouraged to undertake research work and, so far, Rs0.7 million grant had been received for this purpose.

The Punjab governor had provided three buses for the students to commute within three campuses of the university, he added.