Day: December 18, 2021

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High Rise Building Construction Site Educational Visit 

Faisalabad, December 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):Students along with teachers of Department of Civil Engineering visited the Gatwala Commercial Hub Construction Site on December 14th 2021. The purpose of this educational visit was to show them the practice of latest construction techniques adopted in construction of high-rise buildings, also the implementation of the designs they learn throughout their academic career.

For more information, contact:
The University of Faisalabad
Health Sciences Campus (For Female)
Sargodha Road University Town, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-41-8868326-30
Fax: +92-41-8868220
Email: admission@tuf.edu.pk
Website: www.tuf.edu.pk

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Becoming a Role Model for My Community by Kulsoom Masood Durrani 

Karachi, December 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):Being a girl from a working-class background in Peshawar, I never thought of going abroad for education. None of the female members of my family had experienced it. I had always been a curious girl since childhood, questioning the customs, traditions and rules that did not make sense to me; why wasn’t it okay to interact with males outside of family? Why was a girl’s character judged by the kind of clothes she wore? What was honour and why was it tied to the women in the family only?

Most of the women in my community would get married while studying at school or had just graduated from university. There was hardly an inspiration to follow or a role model to look up to try to do things out of the box. I witnessed so much potential going to waste, but didn’t know what to do to make things better for the girls in my family and community.

When I applied to Habib University in its Social Development and Policy program in 2015, I was provided with a way to respond to this problem. The generous support in the form of a merit scholarship, and the unique and holistic approach towards learning allowed me to experiment with various aspects of my life; pushing me out of my comfort zone and taking a big step – becoming a source of inspiration for others. I knew, that at this point, any step would be an important step to take for the women in my community. The dynamism of the curriculum and culture at Habib, allowed me to thrive in a place that nurtured this ambitious pursuit. In 2018, with the help of the Student Center and exceptional academic record under my belt, I decided to apply to the UGRAD semester exchange program.

I knew none of the female family members had ever traveled abroad for studies, due to reasons like not getting permission and it being a too unrealistic idea. I took the risk and applied anyway. When I discussed this with my mom, she laughed and said, “Kulsoom, a person can only dream. You know how our family traditions are.”

Maybe it was my positive intent, but the universe responded with good news. One morning, I received a call from a number with the city code listed as 051. My heart raced, and I knew it was a call from the Islamabad USEFP office telling me that I had been shortlisted as a candidate for the interview in the Global UGRAD semester exchange program.

I could not believe it. It was a dream come true for me. I was on my way to becoming a source of inspiration and support for my family and community.

When I gave my interview – my mother received a letter at home saying that I had been selected as a principal candidate for the semester exchange program. She came running in the corridor and hugged me. I still recall her words, “Kulsoom, this is your chance. Do what I could not do at your age because I got married young. Make it worthwhile.”

My dad was beaming with pride. In 2018, I became the first girl from my family to travel abroad for studies. At the University of Houston, Texas, in the United States, I studied the humanities, and had an experience of a lifetime.

My going abroad stirred up discussions in my family. Slowly and gradually, they started accepting the idea of girls travelling alone. Girls could choose whatever they wanted to study. All those who rebuked my decision before were full of appreciation for me now.

Since then, I have guided a lot of students, especially females from the Pashtoon community on applying for educational opportunities. I believe that my semester exchange program was only the beginning of my responsibility to work towards giving educational rights to girls in my community. My real success would be imparting my knowledge to aspiring students, especially females, and guiding them to take their decisions in life independently.

After graduation, I worked in the Public Health sector for two years. One of my major projects involved working on adopting a Gender Transformative Approach in Family Planning. With my determination, paired with the support of my parents, I received acceptance in the Masters in Public Health program at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, with an International Excellence Scholarship. My research will focus on sexual and reproductive health facilities for women. What Habib and these experiences have taught me is that when you see no inspiration around you – become one.

For more information, contact:
Habib University
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-34301051-55
Email: marketing@habib.edu.pk
Website: www.habib.edu.pk

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Tradition and Modernity in Islamic Seminaries 

Islamabad, December 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Islamic schools (Madaris) in Pakistan are undergoing a transformational change, and while this appears to be a good omen, it is also a growing feeling among them that they have to carve out a revamped identity while staying firmly connected to their academic traditions and societal roots. This not only calls for devising an extraordinary strategy, but also accentuates the importance of reinforced unity in a bid to play down any divisions or rifts.

These views were exchanged at a seminar co-organized by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad and Darul Ilm-wal-Tehqeeq, Karachi on December 15, 2021. The session also featured launch of the latest publication on the subject by eminent Islamic scholar Dr Syed Aziz ur Rahman titled Deeni Madaris Badalte Hue Zamane Main.

The session held at CII was graced as chief guest by Barrister Zafarullah Khan whereas the other speakers included Chairman CII Dr Qibla Ayaz, Vice Chairman IPS Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, Dr Nazir Ahmed Vaid, renowned social activist and member, IPS-National Academic Council, Dr Syed Aziz ur Rahman and Dr Ikram ul Haq Yasin, secretary, CII.

Barrister Zafarullah Khan was of the view that religious education must be in tune with the times. In this regard, it becomes important to look beyond one’s preconceived beliefs and thoughts. He further said that in addition to highlighting the research aspect in religious education, the students of religious seminaries should get acquainted with ancient and modern traditions and history. Dr Qibla Ayaz was of the opinion that there was a lot to be done to bring the teaching style and techniques in madaris at par with modern methods.

Dr Nazir Ahmed Vaid pointed out at some latest trends utilizing which the madrassas are not only progressing in modern education and technology but also making their names. He presented the example of a prominent madrassa in Karachi where students from over fifty countries were pursuing their education and will go on to become ambassadors of Pakistan in their respective countries. Recently students from a madrassa in Punjab created history by doing wonderful in a robotics competition, he added, whereas some madrassas are also imparting O and A level education to its students, while taking innovative measures for their personal and professional development alongside.

Dr Syed Aziz ur Rahman apprised that the thought of keeping up with the modern societal needs has always prevailed in the madrassas but the transition has naturally been slow and gradual due to their deep-rooted connections with conventions and traditions. However, where on one hand there has been changes in the curriculums and teaching styles of Dars-e-Nizami, there has also been improvement in the general atmosphere of the madaris as well as more acceptance towards needed reforms.

This however is not compulsory for the students of religious education to acquire science, technology education and other contemporary skills, he maintained. The prime objective of religious education has always been to impart knowledge and wisdom aimed at societal training and development. It is thus important to understand that religious education should not be seen as a mean to earn livelihood, whereas earning of a living should remain to be a secondary objective, he added.

Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq Yaseen, Secretary of the Council of Islamic Ideology, while highlighting the valuable role of madaris, said that during the British rule, madaris were deliberately kept away from economic and administrative matters, and were reduced to providing only basic learning of Islam. He further said that a religious scholar should be a good preacher as well as a dynamic person of the society.

Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain viewed that the Government of Pakistan had also played a big part in determining how the role of religious institutions is seen in the country. They have mostly seen these institutions from the lense of security instead of looking at them as our traditional educational institutions with deep socio-cultural roots. The need of the time now is to change this perception through greater harmony between different sects and religious institutions. The session was attended by a large number of ulema, teachers and researchers.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

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Efforts stressed to cope with smog

Lahore, December 18, 2021 (PPI-OT):Punjab University Institute of Energy and Environmental Engineering (IEEE), organized a one-day Seminar titled “Understanding and Combating Smog, the Fifth Season of Pakistan” in collaboration with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Vice Chancellor of Mir Chakar Khan Rind University of Technology Prof. Dr. Mahmood Saleem was the chief guest on the occasion while Parks and Horticulture Authority Chairman Engr Yasir Gillani, IEEE Director Prof Dr Hamed Sattar, Assistant Professor Dr Zaeem Bin Babar, faculty members and a large number of students participated in the seminar.

Addressing the seminar, Prof. Dr. Mahmood Saleem highlighted the proven simple solutions to replace inefficient household burners with efficient ones, incentivizing farmers to use mechanical means to prepare fields for cultivation instead of stubble burnings. Engr. Yasir Ali Gillani highlighted the role of urban forests and plantation with ecological balance between anthropogenic activities and nature. Prof. Dr. Hamed Sattar briefed about the present and future initiatives of the institute in the research domains of energy and environment.

Additionally, he stressed on intensive collaborations with governmental agencies and industries to properly address all national issues including smog. IEEE Assistant Professor Dr. Zaeem Bin Babar described the Smog formation mechanisms, contributing sources, and respective mitigation strategies. He further highlighted the viable long-term and quick approaches to control and minimize air pollution events in Pakistan. Mr. Sohail Ali Naqvi, Senior Manager ILES/Head Freshwater Program WWF-Pakistan, gave briefing on specific projects of WWF associated with energy and environmental conservation.

He described modus operandi on social ways of living in a developing country with optimized logistics and public transportation infrastructure to minimize primary and secondary emissions precursors of smog. Later, Prof. Dr. Hamed Sattar congratulated IEEE faculty members Dr. Syed Sheraz Dawood, Dr. Rizwan Haider, Dr. Hassan Zeb, Dr. Muhammad Sarfraz Akram, Dr. Muhammad Zafar, Engr. Abuzar Ahsan, Engr. Iqra Aziz, and Engr. Saif for thorough support in organizing a successful event. Presentation session was concluded by “Smog Awareness Walk” in which more than 100 academicians, collaborators, and students were participated.

For more information, contact:
Registrar,
University of the Punjab
Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99231102
Fax: +92-42-99231103
E-Mail: registrar@pu.edu.pk
Website: http://pu.edu.pk/