Hats off : SZABIST felicitates 10th batch of graduating students

Faculty members laud students’ efforts, encourage them to apply what they have learnt.

KARACHI:

The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) honoured its 10th batch of graduating students from its Karachi, Larkana and Hyderabad campuses as they entered a “new phase of their life” on Saturday.

Over 3,000 people gathered at the Karachi Expo Centre to watch around 855 undergraduates and postgraduates from the institution, dressed in blue robes embellished with silver braids, collect their degrees. “You have achieved what only one in five families across the country can afford. This is the result of the sacrifices made by your parents,” said SZABIST’s chancellor, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, in her address to the graduates. “I urge you to maintain your confidence, believe in your capabilities and apply what you have learnt, for only then will you achieve lifelong rewards, not only for yourself but also for your country”.



With the crowd cheering in the background, the students wore bright smiles as they made their way up to the stage to collect their degrees in their respective disciplines of business management, computer, social and media sciences.

Around 146 students of the graduating batch received corporate gold medals that had been sponsored by different organisations while eight more were awarded merit gold medals for excellence in academics.

SZABIST President Dr Saqib Razavi, highlighting the achievements made by the institute since its inception in 1995, said that the number of campuses had grown to five - one each in Karachi, Larkana, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Dubai. “The number of students, as a result of the diversification in our academic portfolio during the last three years, has marked a 52 per cent increase, from 4,972 to 7,260, who are being taught by 126 permanent faculty members.”

Meanwhile, the institution is constantly introducing new courses, such as Mechatronics - a multidisciplinary field of engineering that deals with the efficient and effective integration of mechanical systems and electronics, Dr Faraz Junejo, the head of Mechatronics Engineering department, told The Express Tribune. “The idea behind introducing a Bachelors of Engineering programme in this discipline was to create a national workforce to promote an indigenous research and development culture in Pakistan,” said Dr Junejo. He added that SZABIST was offering a scholarship of up to 25 per cent of the tuition fee to each admitted student, taking into account the current economic downturn.

Dr Junejo added that graduates with a Mechatronics degree can take up careers in a wide spectrum of industries to enhance the country’s potential through their contribution.

The chief guest at the occasion was the Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee (CIEC) chairperson, Prof Dr Mashoor Alam Shah while Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also attended the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2013.