Educational matters: NED University’s Thar Campus all set to open
The new campus will only be admitting students to its computer sciences department initially
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The NED University of Engineering and Technology has successfully set up a campus in Sindh’s Thar area and has opened admissions for its Bachelors of Engineering (BE) programme.
The varsity will be the first higher education institution of its kind in the entire Mirpurkhas district, including Thar. In its first year, the campus will offer admissions in its computer sciences department, while lecturers and professors rendering their services in the remote Thar district will be compensated with double salaries.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, NED University’s vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Sarosh Lodhi said that the new campus has been named the Thar Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology.
“Candidates willing to seek admission in the varsity may appear in the entrance test which is scheduled to be held in NED Karachi campus on August 31,” Lodhi said. “The admissions in BE computer science department for the Thar campus will be granted on the basis of the entry test results and as per university policies.”
He added that the majority of the sixty seats reserved for the programme will be taken up by candidates who have completed their higher secondary school certificate (HSC) through the Mirpurkhas education board. However, a few seats have been reserved for candidates from other boards as well.
Responding to a question, Dr Lodhi said that the new campus has been temporarily launched at a school building which is spread over a five-acre land in Thar’s Islamkot area. The campus has been built through the support of the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, with which the varsity has signed up a two-year contract.
“The varsity has also rented two buildings to accommodate the staff and student hostels,” Lodhi said. “The provincial government has approved an immediate grant of Rs200 million to set up the campus.”
Elaborating on the prospects of the new project, the vice-chancellor further said that the NED University will retain complete control of the academic and administrative affairs of the Thar campus, adding that authorities are striving to make the new campus self-sufficient within the next four years.
“For the administrative affairs of the new campus, a new principal will be appointed within the next few days. That apart, letters detailing the “need of services” at the Thar campus have also been distributed among staff members of the existing computer science department of NED University in Karachi.”
Both teaching and non-teaching staff who will eventually join the Thar campus will be given twice the salary and emoluments after the formal approval of the provincial government.
The Sindh government has signalled the provision of a 317-acre land to build the campus together with Rs850 million in development grant during the next two years.
The students and the teachers who will stay on the campus for residential purposes will pay the rent on their own. However, the expenditures for students’ hostel will be partially shared by the university.
“The fee structure of the new campus has been kept a bit higher than the regular fee structure in Karachi so that the affairs of the campus can be managed as smoothly as possible,” Dr Lodhi said.
“Students will need to pay about Rs62,000 at the time of admission while the tuition fee for the subsequent semesters will remain the same as the main campus. The procedure for admissions and merit has been designed per the existing policies of the university.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2019.
The NED University of Engineering and Technology has successfully set up a campus in Sindh’s Thar area and has opened admissions for its Bachelors of Engineering (BE) programme.
The varsity will be the first higher education institution of its kind in the entire Mirpurkhas district, including Thar. In its first year, the campus will offer admissions in its computer sciences department, while lecturers and professors rendering their services in the remote Thar district will be compensated with double salaries.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, NED University’s vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Sarosh Lodhi said that the new campus has been named the Thar Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology.
“Candidates willing to seek admission in the varsity may appear in the entrance test which is scheduled to be held in NED Karachi campus on August 31,” Lodhi said. “The admissions in BE computer science department for the Thar campus will be granted on the basis of the entry test results and as per university policies.”
He added that the majority of the sixty seats reserved for the programme will be taken up by candidates who have completed their higher secondary school certificate (HSC) through the Mirpurkhas education board. However, a few seats have been reserved for candidates from other boards as well.
Responding to a question, Dr Lodhi said that the new campus has been temporarily launched at a school building which is spread over a five-acre land in Thar’s Islamkot area. The campus has been built through the support of the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, with which the varsity has signed up a two-year contract.
“The varsity has also rented two buildings to accommodate the staff and student hostels,” Lodhi said. “The provincial government has approved an immediate grant of Rs200 million to set up the campus.”
Elaborating on the prospects of the new project, the vice-chancellor further said that the NED University will retain complete control of the academic and administrative affairs of the Thar campus, adding that authorities are striving to make the new campus self-sufficient within the next four years.
“For the administrative affairs of the new campus, a new principal will be appointed within the next few days. That apart, letters detailing the “need of services” at the Thar campus have also been distributed among staff members of the existing computer science department of NED University in Karachi.”
Both teaching and non-teaching staff who will eventually join the Thar campus will be given twice the salary and emoluments after the formal approval of the provincial government.
The Sindh government has signalled the provision of a 317-acre land to build the campus together with Rs850 million in development grant during the next two years.
The students and the teachers who will stay on the campus for residential purposes will pay the rent on their own. However, the expenditures for students’ hostel will be partially shared by the university.
“The fee structure of the new campus has been kept a bit higher than the regular fee structure in Karachi so that the affairs of the campus can be managed as smoothly as possible,” Dr Lodhi said.
“Students will need to pay about Rs62,000 at the time of admission while the tuition fee for the subsequent semesters will remain the same as the main campus. The procedure for admissions and merit has been designed per the existing policies of the university.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2019.