KARACHI, May 16: The National Curriculum Revision Committee on Electronics has approved the curriculum for a four-year professional degree programme proposed to be introduced at universities.

The committee, in a recent meeting held here under the aegis of the University Grants Commission, decided that the total credit hours of the four-year BS programme would be at least 132, spread over eight semesters.

The prerequisite for admission to the programme would be higher secondary education certificate with pre-engineering group, while each student would be required to have a research and development project in his final year.

Sources privy to the meeting said that the four-year programme in electronics would be introduced at universities in line with their respective statutes and requirements. The graduates of the programme would be able to gain access to benefits enjoyed by engineers in government services, added the source.

At present the University of Sindh offers a four-year education in the electronics discipline leading to Master’s degree. The University of Peshawar is offering electronics as an elective subject at the BSc level, while the University of Karachi and the Quaid-i-Azam University offer two-year MSc degree courses with specialisation in the same subject.

In its other recommendations, the NCRC meeting, which was chaired by Dr Abdul Qadeer of the University of Karachi, pointed out that the UGC should be actively involved and participate in the implementation of the recommendations of the NCRC.

“Since electronics plays a vital role in the countries’ defence,industrial development and information technology, the funding agencies may be directed to liberally allocate funds for the development of electronics in the universities of Pakistan”, said another recommendation.

It was further recommended that two to six-months internship should be encouraged in the research and development organizations in order to facilitate the students enrolled in BSc or MSc degree programmes in electronics.

This matter may be taken up at the appropriate ministries, including the ministry of education, the ministry of science and technology and the ministry of industry, the NCRC observed.

The Frequency Allocation Board and the ministry of defence might develop department of electronics at various universities. The ministry of communication/Frequency Allocation Board might allocate a small band of frequencies to the universities teaching electronics so that experiments on wireless communication could be carried out, it was further recommended.

While stressing the availability of textbooks recommended by NCRC, the curriculum body suggested that the National Book Foundation might take appropriate measures in that regard. “The electronics courses must be taught using software design and simulation tools so that students are familiarised with the current design procedure and methodology, hereby acquiring higher technical skills”, added the NCRC in its recommendations.

It was also suggested that a permanent national review committee be constituted to supervise the curriculum taught at public or private universities and bring them in line with the curriculum developed by the NCRC on electronics.

“Electronics should be given proper weight in the BCS and MCS programmes of the public or private sector universities in the country”, the committee added.