Education roundup: An eventful week for the capital’s educational institutes

Teachers strike ends; researchers awarded by HEC; IIUI remembers 2009 blast victims.

ISLAMABAD: The week ended with a bulk of academic activities across university campuses as well as colleges in the federal capital.

The week started off with the federal government college teachers calling off the strike due to non-implementation of the Prime Minister’s package. Even though they resumed classes after the Capital Administration and Development Division’s (CADD) notification that approved the time-scale part of their demand, the teachers have vowed to keep struggling till their demands for implementation of the up-gradation scale are also met. They accuse some bureaucrats and the CADD division to be responsible for the partial implementation.

At the same time, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) conferred awards to 33 outstanding researchers and scholars on their significant contribution in research and academic development. These awards were under different categories, including Lifetime Academic Achievement Award (2), Best Innovator (1), Best Book Publication (3), Best Research Paper (21) and Best Young Research Scholar (6). Academicians appreciated the gesture and said such recognition would promote research culture in academia and emphasised that merit should be the top priority for selection.

The HEC chief stated that the purpose of these awards is to recognise and reward achievements of Pakistani researchers/scholars in research, innovation and publication in all areas of knowledge. He added that university research is directly linked to the economic growth of any country.

The HEC also gave awards to the Pakistani students groomed under the National Science Talent Contest, who participated in the International Science Olympiads in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. All four members of Pakistani team won bronze medals in International Biology Olympiad held in Taiwan from July 10-17.

Then on Thursday, The Islamic International University Islamabad (IIUI) remembered the tragic incident of the twin suicide blasts carried out by extremists at the campus for females on October 20, 2009, which had killed eight students. A large number of students and staff members gathered at the blast site and lit candles in memory of the victims and offered prayers for them. Majority of the victims were female students and the attackers had hit the cafeteria for females. IIUI Rector Fateh Muhammad Malik admitted that the twin blasts had not only tarnished the image of the university at national level, but also at the international level.

Over the week, Foundation University Institute of Engineering and Management Sciences conferred degrees to 210 graduates of Engineering and Management Sciences at its annual convocation. Five gold medals, 5 silver medals and 52 merit certificates were also awarded to students.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2011.