Varsity memories: KU forms alumni body 60 years after first batch graduated
University hopes to stabilise its financial position with the help of alumni.
Registrar KU presenting Lifetime Alumni Membership Card to Vice Chancellor during the launching ceremony of KU Alumni. PHOTO: UOK.EDU.PK
KARACHI:
Sixty years after its first batch of students graduated, the University of Karachi (KU) launched its first official alumni body on Monday to give support to the revenue-starved institution.
Aiming to unite former students at the platform of their alma mater, the University of Karachi Alumni will make efforts to utilise the resources of the alumni for the prosperity of its existing students, said the vice-chancellor Prof. Dr Muhammad Qaiser during a ceremony organised at the university’s arts auditorium. He vowed to hold a grand alumni convention of former students in the coming months.
“All across the world, old students significantly contribute to the development of their universities but we have come alive only now,” noted a university syndicate member, Sardar Yasin Malik. “And we would have failed to even now if public-sector universities continued to receive lavish Higher Education Commission (HEC) funds right into their bank accounts.”
Malik recalled that the first time he was persuaded to organise the alumni to lend support to the university was by former vice-chancellor Prof. Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui when the HEC slashed recurring budgets of the public universities. “Other than that, nothing had happened for the alumni in the past except for photo sessions.”
Dr Qasim, who was also present at the ceremony, accepted in his speech that the university officials never paid attention towards the important practice of keeping the record and contacts of its graduating students until 2010 when the idea of forming the university’s official alumni association was conceived. “The fees acquired through the students hardly makes up for four percent of the university’s budget, which even if doubled would still fail to provide sustainability.”
Being an alumni of the university, former social welfare minister Khanum Gohar Aijaz said that it was almost unthinkable that the university could give anything more to its alumni as it had already given them what they would never be able to payback. “After receiving the best education at KU almost for free, we have become billionaires and still expect the KU to give us more,” said Aijaz. “It is time for payback.”
The event drew few hundred former students, now recognised as professionals, including scientists, educators, businessmen, politicians, journalists and experts in their fields. Among them was an economics graduate from the foremost batch, Prof. Syed Sabir Jaffery, who identified himself as a “graduate of archaeological value” and saw some hope of revitalising the past connections with this initiative.
Prof. Jaffery noted, however, a few significant deficiencies in organising the landmark event. He pointed out that the arrangements were made seemingly with the expectation that the alumni must be sitting somewhere near the university. “How could one expect to bring a good number the former students - now working professionals - at 2pm on a working day,” he complained referring to the few hundred attendees among the actual alumni of several thousand.
Despite inviting the alumni as guests, the university failed to provide them car stickers. As a result, former students argued with the security staff and Rangers personnel right at the doorstep of their alma mater. Several moods were dampened as a result.
Rehkal Pakistan, the CEO and former Pakistan State Oil managing director, Kalim Ahmed Siddiqui also spoke at the ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2013.
Sixty years after its first batch of students graduated, the University of Karachi (KU) launched its first official alumni body on Monday to give support to the revenue-starved institution.
Aiming to unite former students at the platform of their alma mater, the University of Karachi Alumni will make efforts to utilise the resources of the alumni for the prosperity of its existing students, said the vice-chancellor Prof. Dr Muhammad Qaiser during a ceremony organised at the university’s arts auditorium. He vowed to hold a grand alumni convention of former students in the coming months.
“All across the world, old students significantly contribute to the development of their universities but we have come alive only now,” noted a university syndicate member, Sardar Yasin Malik. “And we would have failed to even now if public-sector universities continued to receive lavish Higher Education Commission (HEC) funds right into their bank accounts.”
Malik recalled that the first time he was persuaded to organise the alumni to lend support to the university was by former vice-chancellor Prof. Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui when the HEC slashed recurring budgets of the public universities. “Other than that, nothing had happened for the alumni in the past except for photo sessions.”
Dr Qasim, who was also present at the ceremony, accepted in his speech that the university officials never paid attention towards the important practice of keeping the record and contacts of its graduating students until 2010 when the idea of forming the university’s official alumni association was conceived. “The fees acquired through the students hardly makes up for four percent of the university’s budget, which even if doubled would still fail to provide sustainability.”
Being an alumni of the university, former social welfare minister Khanum Gohar Aijaz said that it was almost unthinkable that the university could give anything more to its alumni as it had already given them what they would never be able to payback. “After receiving the best education at KU almost for free, we have become billionaires and still expect the KU to give us more,” said Aijaz. “It is time for payback.”
The event drew few hundred former students, now recognised as professionals, including scientists, educators, businessmen, politicians, journalists and experts in their fields. Among them was an economics graduate from the foremost batch, Prof. Syed Sabir Jaffery, who identified himself as a “graduate of archaeological value” and saw some hope of revitalising the past connections with this initiative.
Prof. Jaffery noted, however, a few significant deficiencies in organising the landmark event. He pointed out that the arrangements were made seemingly with the expectation that the alumni must be sitting somewhere near the university. “How could one expect to bring a good number the former students - now working professionals - at 2pm on a working day,” he complained referring to the few hundred attendees among the actual alumni of several thousand.
Despite inviting the alumni as guests, the university failed to provide them car stickers. As a result, former students argued with the security staff and Rangers personnel right at the doorstep of their alma mater. Several moods were dampened as a result.
Rehkal Pakistan, the CEO and former Pakistan State Oil managing director, Kalim Ahmed Siddiqui also spoke at the ceremony.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2013.