In fond memory: SU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Abida Taherani passes away at 61

Late professor was suffering from breast cancer for past few years

HYDERABAD: University of Sindh (SU) vice-chancellor Prof Dr Abida Taherani breathed her last late Wednesday night at the age of 61, in a hospital in United Kingdom after battling breast cancer for the last few years of her life.

The funeral will be held on Saturday morning (June 4) and she will be laid to rest near the mausoleum of Allama II Qazi and his wife, Elsa Qazi, in the premises of the SU. Prof Taherani was a recipient of President’s Award for Pride of Performance, which was conferred on her on March 23 this year. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.



She taught at the SU for the past 39 years, after being appointed as an economics teacher in 1977. She later headed the economics department, Sindh Development Studies Centre and faculty of social sciences, before being appointed as the vice-chancellor on January 15, 2015.

Prof Taherani completed her doctorate and later post-doctoral studies from Colorado State University in United States. Economics, agricultural economics, developmental economics, sustainable development, environment, gender and poverty studies, water resources and Indus delta were her subjects of interests.

She supervised 10 doctoral studies in diverse fields of her expertise while another nine scholars were currently pursuing PhD research under her supervision, in addition to six others pursuing MS and MPhil degrees. Prof Taherani was a member of International Association of Agricultural Economists, Pakistan Economic Council and Council of Social Scientists, National Statistical Council, Access to Financial Assistance Programme of State Bank and Sindh Government’s Task Force on Revival of Sindh Economy.



The SU and its campuses remained closed on Thursday, whereas the varsity will also observe a week of mourning by postponing all the scheduled ceremonies. The vice-chancellors and faculty of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences and Sindh Agriculture University expressed their condolence over her death.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.