(KIU) – Page 4 – Newswire Pakistan

February 23, 2022

KIU will work with French Universities for cultural and academic exchange

Gilgit, February 23, 2022 (PPI-OT): KIU will work with French Universities for cultural and academic exchange A meeting in this context was held between the cultural and education attaches of French Embassy and Vice Chancellor KIU Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah. KIU will sign Letter of Collaboration with French Cultural section for promotion of education and cultural ties. KIU will get supports from French Universities and research institutes in the areas of Faculty and students exchange, collaborative research; joint projects etc.

For more information, contact:
Main Campus,
Karakoram International University (KIU)
University Road, Gilgit, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Tel: +92-58-11960010-13
Email: info@kiu.edu.pk
Website: www.kiu.edu.pk

December 10, 2021

KIU Hunza Campus and National Accountability Bureau organized an event on the account of “International Anti-Corruption Day”

Gilgit, December 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):Karakoram International University Hunza Campus and National Accountability Bureau organized an event on the account of “International Anti-Corruption Day”. The worthy Vice-Chancellor of KIU Prof. Eng. Dr. Attaullah Shah welcomed the participants via Video-link. Chief guest, Chief Election commissioner Raja Shehbaz Khan, Director NAB Gilgit-Baltistan Nasir Janjua, prominent religious scholar Sheikh Musa Karimi, Assistant Professor Dr. Sayed Rizwan Abbas and Dr. Ahmer Sohail Basra from Radio Pakistan spoke on this occasion. During their speeches they presented their views on how corruption is a menace to the society and how it could be eliminated from the society.

A speech competition was held among the students of KIU Hunza in which Ms. Fariha got first position, Mr. Shihab Alam got second position and Ms. Abida Khanum got third position. Students of KIU Hunza also presented a skit with the theme of “Anti-Corruption” which was appreciated by the audience.

Furthermore, an oath taking ceremony took place which was conducted by the chief guest, Chief Election commissioner Raja Shehbaz Khan to lay the foundation of Character-Building Society (CBS) at KIU Hunza campus. Towards the end of the event, participants along with the speakers and Chief Guest took part in anti-corruption awareness walk.

December 2, 2021

The students of Forestry Program in KIU took part in a week-long study tour of the forest types and management

Gilgit, December 02, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Department of Forestry, Range, and Wildlife Management at Karakoram International University, Gilgit organized a six-day study tour to Murree, Ayubia, Islamabad and Rawalpindi for BS-VII students from November 23 TO 28, 2021. Dr. Abdul Mannan (Lecturer) of the Department of Forestry, Range, and Wildlife Management led the tour, accompanied by one female faculty member, Ms. Ishrat Roomi (Lecturer). On the first day of their travel from Gilglit to Murree, the students got a detailed exposure of the biophysical characteristics of the Diamer-Basha Dam.

The Chief Engineer Diversion Works and Additional Chief Engineer delivered a detailed presentation about the Dam, which is being constructed near Chilas on the River Indus. They briefed the students that the dam will provide clean energy, irrigate the lands, create jobs, and assist the country economically and environmentally, particularly the people of Gilgit Baltistan. They further elaborated the salient features, such as its type, maximum height, gross capacity, live capacity, installed capacity, annual energy, construction period, cost, land acquisition status, immediate and long-term benefits, and so on.

Students arrived at the Forest Services Academy (FSA) in Ghora Galli, Murree, around 1:30 a.m. with two faculty members. The next day, all students met with Divisional Forest Officers Mr. Babar Suhail and Mr. Asad Ali at the FSA auditorium for a session about academic activities, prospects, silvicultural practices, and management operations. After that, all students were taken to a nursery where they were taught nursery-raising procedures and given the task of collecting leaves from various tree species. Mr. Babar Suhail then led the students on a trek that took them from the southern side of the mountain to the upper slopes in Ghora Galli.

The following day, the students went to Ayubia National Park (ANP), where Mr. Shahbaz Khan (Deputy Ranger) of the Wildlife Department spoke about the park’s history, forest species, management, and wildlife species. Following that, students were taken on a 4-kilometer trek in ANP known as the pipeline trek. Every student, especially the girls, actively participated in trek. Mr. Sajad Ahmad educated the students about various tree species found in ANP through transect walks and physical observation.

The next day the students were taken to Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), Islamabad on November 26th and briefed by Mr. Muhammad Altaf (Assistant Director) on the park’s history, divisions, and current activities. Scrub forest species such as Dodonia viscosa, Ipil ipil, Acacia modesta is commonly known as Phulai, Ziziphus also used in herbal medicine, Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry, invasive tree) fast-growing tree of the family Moraceae, and others were observed by students on hiking trail # 5 in MHNP. Following Friday prayers at the Faisal Mosque, all students were taken to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History, which features galleries that display and provide knowledge about the country’s ecology, geology, and paleontology.

The next day students visited the Sihala Timber Sale Depot in Rawalpindi. Mr. Shahzad (A sub-division forest officer) guided the students on everything from wood unloading to sorting and grading to auction. Before returning the KIU faculty members and student representatives thanked Mr. Babar Suhail and Mr. Asad Ali of Forest Service Academy and other field staff who extended all possible support during the study tour.

On Sunday, November 2021 the visiting students and faculty member proceeded to the return journey. On November 29th, 2021, around 7:30 a.m., all students arrived safely at Karakoram International University in Gilgit. The students and faculty member of the Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife Management are highly appreciative of the KIU management for providing financial approval for this study tour.

November 29, 2021November 30, 2021

The launching ceremony of the first Gilgit-Baltistan Invest

Gilgit, November 29, 2021 (PPI-OT):The launching ceremony of the first Gilgit-Baltistan Invest was held at KIU in collaboration with Karakoram International University, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Greenergia and Rupani Foundation. The launching ceremony of the first GB Invest was attended by the Speaker GB Assembly Mr. Amjad Zaidi, Deputy Speaker Mr. Nazir Ahmed, Vice Chancellor KIU Engr. Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah, Coordinator to CM Mr. Yasir Abbas, Vice Chancellor University of Baltistan Prof. Dr. M. Naeem Khan, officers of various institutions, journalists and a large number of civil societies.

September 19, 2021September 20, 2021

High-Performance Computing Lab inaugurated at Department of Computer Sciences, KIU

Gilgit, September 19, 2021 (PPI-OT):On 13th September 2021 at KIU, a high-performance computing laboratory was inaugurated by the provincial Minister for IT in presence of the Vice-Chancellor of Karakorum International University and Director Mountain University Program, University of Central Asia (UCA). This high-tech lab has been sponsored by AKDN-University of Central Asia under its Mountain University Program and will be a valuable addition to research activities in Artificial Intelligence for both the faculty and students at KIU.

Dr. Aftab Ahmed Khan, HoD Department of Computer Science in his speech thanked the donors and AKU for their generous support. He also apprised the audience about the Department of Computer Sciences’ current national and international research projects. He highlighted the importance of this lab in contributing to future research of faculty and students. Mr. Aliyor, Director Mountain University Program, UCA congratulated the audience especially Dr. Aftab, VC KIU, and faculty of computer sciences on the successful materialization of this laboratory.

While addressing the audience he mentioned that the completion of this project is not the end rather this is the start of the possible future partnerships between KIU and UCA for establishing strong academic and research relationships between the two mountain universities. Shaukat Ali Khan, Global Head of IT, AKU, also participated online in the inauguration ceremony. He ensured his institution’s full support for collaborative work with KIU in the future.

Mr. Hussain Shah appreciated the efforts of KIU and the Department of CS for the recent research activities and achievements. He highlighted the importance of IT for E-Governance and showed interest to consider ideas from KIU for his future initiatives. He further assured KIU that his ministry will establish a state-of-the-art Computing Laboratory at the department of computer sciences. In the end, Vice-Chancellor thanked all the visiting guests, faculty, and management staff who put their efforts to make this event and lab successful.

September 10, 2021September 11, 2021

One-day seminar on rangelands of HKH and their management

Gilgit, September 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):A one-day seminar was organized on Rangelands in the Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife Management, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, on August 31, 2021. The keynote speaker was Dr. Babar Khan, Senior Specialist Ecosystem Services, ICIMOD, Nepal.

Dr. Zafar Khan, Chairman of the Department, introduced the guest speaker to the faculty and students, briefed him about the academic activities going on in the department before inviting him for the talk, entitled “Rangelands: Values, Challenges, Solutions, and Opportunities”. He emphasized the significance of rangelands in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

He elaborated i. Uncontrolled grazing, ii. Unregulated firewood collection, iii. Rangelands encroachment, IV. Non-regulated and non-systematic fodder collection, v. unmanaged tourism and VI. Changing climatic conditions are the major issues and challenges faced in this discipline.

Some of the promising opportunities in this regard are i. United Nations decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) ii. Lessons learnt from the past three decades (knowledge, policies and proven practices) iii. Local policy paradigm: Rangelands are no more only grazing lands IV. Herder’s access to communication and transportation network v. Global recognition as carbon and gene pool and VI. Post-Covid-19 scenario as a symbol of humanity’s broken relationship with nature.

In response to some students’ queries, he advised them to focus their research on rangelands for Ecosystem Restoration because it has a lot of potential in the future. The session ended with a vote of thanks to the chairman and the guest speaker.