Orientation day: ‘At least do some part-time work even after marriage’
Ex federal minister urges students to return to Pakistan after higher studies.
KARACHI:
“If the son of a newspaper hawker can [get] a [job] with a Rs200,000 salary after graduating from this university, then why can you people, who had better opportunities [in life], not achieve your goals?”
As former federal minister Sardar Yasin Malik started off his speech, more than 1,400 youthful faces, wearing all sorts of expressions, turned towards him in surprise. These future engineers of the country were admitted to the electronics, civil, computer, biomedical and telecommunication programmes at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) and Monday was their orientation session.
The few faces of female students among a large pool of boys, all of them glued to their seats under the marquee, provided an interesting contrast.
Malik continued to tell the story of the hawker who used to sell newspapers near Regent Plaza. He arrived to meet the chancellor, Professor Zille Ahmed Nizami, in a three-piece suit to speak about his son’s fee. “I have never imagined that an education could bring a revolution in our lives, but my son believed this and he finally changed everything,” the hawker told a taken-aback Professor Nizami.
During his speech, Malik chose to advise the girls not to sit at home after they graduate as it would amount to a national loss. “I mostly see our female engineers using their academic knowledge for household chores,” he joked half in English and half in Urdu. “At least do some part-time work even after you get married.”
He lamented that many students go abroad for further studies after graduating but only a few return to their country which is a loss to Pakistan and their parents as well.
As if to motivate the students, he recalled his past, when he studied in schools in areas like Kharadar and Lyari, lived in a small house without electricity, slept on footpaths and studied under streetlights. He wanted to convey the message that anyone can achieve anything in the world provided they accept the challenge.
Earlier on, Professor Nizami said that today this university has become the biggest centre of engineering excellence in the private sector and collaborates with over a dozen foreign universities. “We follow the traditions of great reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and established this university 96 years after his death,” he added.
Nizami said that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wanted the students to have the Holy Quran to one shoulder and science and technology on the other. “At this university we want the same from our students,” he emphasised.
Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Saiyed Nazir Ahmed recalled that the institution was established on the lines of Aligarh Muslim University. It started with 400 students 16 years ago but has grown to more than 5,000 students. “The institution takes the responsibility of providing students books each semester,” he said, adding that a vast library of 70,000 books is also at their disposal.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2012.
“If the son of a newspaper hawker can [get] a [job] with a Rs200,000 salary after graduating from this university, then why can you people, who had better opportunities [in life], not achieve your goals?”
As former federal minister Sardar Yasin Malik started off his speech, more than 1,400 youthful faces, wearing all sorts of expressions, turned towards him in surprise. These future engineers of the country were admitted to the electronics, civil, computer, biomedical and telecommunication programmes at Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) and Monday was their orientation session.
The few faces of female students among a large pool of boys, all of them glued to their seats under the marquee, provided an interesting contrast.
Malik continued to tell the story of the hawker who used to sell newspapers near Regent Plaza. He arrived to meet the chancellor, Professor Zille Ahmed Nizami, in a three-piece suit to speak about his son’s fee. “I have never imagined that an education could bring a revolution in our lives, but my son believed this and he finally changed everything,” the hawker told a taken-aback Professor Nizami.
During his speech, Malik chose to advise the girls not to sit at home after they graduate as it would amount to a national loss. “I mostly see our female engineers using their academic knowledge for household chores,” he joked half in English and half in Urdu. “At least do some part-time work even after you get married.”
He lamented that many students go abroad for further studies after graduating but only a few return to their country which is a loss to Pakistan and their parents as well.
As if to motivate the students, he recalled his past, when he studied in schools in areas like Kharadar and Lyari, lived in a small house without electricity, slept on footpaths and studied under streetlights. He wanted to convey the message that anyone can achieve anything in the world provided they accept the challenge.
Earlier on, Professor Nizami said that today this university has become the biggest centre of engineering excellence in the private sector and collaborates with over a dozen foreign universities. “We follow the traditions of great reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and established this university 96 years after his death,” he added.
Nizami said that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan wanted the students to have the Holy Quran to one shoulder and science and technology on the other. “At this university we want the same from our students,” he emphasised.
Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Saiyed Nazir Ahmed recalled that the institution was established on the lines of Aligarh Muslim University. It started with 400 students 16 years ago but has grown to more than 5,000 students. “The institution takes the responsibility of providing students books each semester,” he said, adding that a vast library of 70,000 books is also at their disposal.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2012.