Facilitating education: Capital to have its own model varsity

Islamabad Model University likely to be established next year.

ISLAMABAD:

The capital may have its very own varsity – Islamabad Model University (IMU) – by next year.

According to sources in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD), the process is underway and should be completed by next year.

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced the establishment of IMU in 2011.

The proposed varsity will work as Islamabad’s degree awarding institute, replacing Quaid-i-Azam University which presently conducts examinations and issues degrees for different colleges of the capital.

As per the plan, all the colleges of the capital will be affiliated with it and initially only bachelor’s and master’s degrees will be issued to the students.

Sources revealed that later the university will initiate research-based degrees as a university.

“It will be a government university but unique in its nature and approach,” said a source in FDE.



The university will also offer technical education and 20 model and 11 federal government colleges will be affiliated with it, it was learnt.

The students completing courses at colleges will be able to continue their studies in the university without any academic delay or hindrance.

It has been decided by the relevant authorities that initially a camp office will be established to kick-start the activities which will later be expanded to a complete university.

The drafting of the act for the university’s establishment is underway between FDE and CAD.

It will be forwarded by CAD to parliament and after its approval would be sent to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for final recommendations and go-ahead.

As for the university’s infrastructure, it has been decided that the many colleges under the FDE’s domain will be used for running it on a daily basis.

Director Model Colleges Dr Tariq Masood told The Express Tribune that the issue is in initial stages and they are fully cooperating with the ministry to make this dream a reality.

“This step will facilitate the capital institutes as they will have their own varsity which will be run by its own Board of Governors and Board of Studies members without outside intervention and directives,” he stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2013.