Sustainable development: K-P govt to fund ESE programme at GIKI

First-ever programme to fulfil energy needs of country

SWABI:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government will provide Rs100 million to launch the Energy System Engineering (ESE) programme in Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) of Engineering Sciences and Technology.

This was agreed at a meeting held in GIKI on Saturday with the institution’s academia. According to a press release, the provincial government will provide financial assistance for the equipment, construction of a new building, faculty and other requirements and infrastructure in separate phases.

Speaking on the occasion, Isotherm Inc President Dr Zahid Ayub said he will use his contacts in US universities with leading faculty members to prepare a curriculum for ESE students.

The document quoted Ayub as saying, “We have successfully developed links between GIKI and University of Texas, USA and will work to enhance GIKI’s collaboration with leading American universities to utilise resources and produce high calibre engineers in the energy field.”

Ayub also said the focus of the programme will be on renewable energy resources – such as solar and hydro power –to produce cost-effective energy for industrial and household consumers in the country.

The handout cited GIKI Rector Jehangir Bashar as saying, “We should start with the undergraduate programme and launch the master’s and doctorate programmes later.”

He added ESE was the first-ever energy programme in Pakistan focused on fulfilling the energy needs of the country.

According to the press release, Bashar is expected to hold a meeting with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser in Peshawar very soon. On Bashar’s request, Qaiser agreed to increase the number of scholarships for students from 20 to 40. At the meeting, he also advised the secretary and additional secretary to draw a joint proposal with the GIKI faculty in order to get a better idea of the responsibilities and tasks assigned to each party.

Professor Dr Javed Chattha, Anti-corruption Parliamentary Secretary Dr Haider Ali, MPA Muhammad Shiraz Khan, Higher Education Provincial Secretary Attaur Rehman and Additional Secretary Khalid Khan were also present at the meeting.

Earlier, Qaiser and Ayub inaugurated the Natural Fluids Refrigeration Center (NFRC) laboratory. Established in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the NFRC laboratory establishment was given half a million dollars by Isotherm Inc. The aim of NFRC was to provide refrigeration solutions on a global scale.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2015.