LAHORE, May 11: A German fact-finding mission visited various universities of the country to make a feasibility for setting up of an engineering university here on the German pattern.

Six engineering and technology universities are being set up in collaboration with Germany, France, South Korea, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands by 2008. The Pakistan government has allocated Rs90 billion for the purpose.

The German delegation comprised University of Bonn Rector Prof Dr Matthias Winiger, Rector Prof Dr Wulf Fischer and Fran Fischer of University of Applied Sciences Bonn Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences Coburg former rector Prof Dr Gerhard Lindner, Prof Dr Bernd Mahr of Technical University of Berlin, Dr Markus Thewes and Gerhard Moeller of Bochum University, and Dr Helmut Blumbach, director for programmes southern hemisphere, German Academic Exchange Service,

German embassy first secretary Ellen Golz was also present.

The delegates told Dawn here on Thursday that they were in the studying academic infrastructure here and would submit their report to the Pakistan government soon.

They said Germany would provide technical support besides devising curricula on the pattern of German universities. The Pakistani faculty would also be trained in Germany and German professors would come here as well to assist the government in establishing the new varsity and upgrading the existing ones.

They said the new varsity would be of international standard and there would be no compromise on quality of education and research.

They said they would try to come up to the expectations of their Pakistani counterparts. “We want cooperation from the business community as well regarding the establishment of a technology park on the premises of the proposed university,” they added.

It is leant that the Higher Education Commission wants Germany to open the engineering varsity in Karachi while the German delegation has yet to finalise the venue. “We have not yet finalised the place for opening of the varsity,” they said.

The delegation also visited the German Cultural Centre (Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus) in Lahore and met the DAAD alumni.

PUNJAB UNIVERSITY: The delegation called on Punjab University vice-chancellor Arshad Mahmood on Thursday.

The VC said linkages among organisations and professionals were becoming more and more important for growth and development in the globalised world.

He appreciated the German education system.