Masood chairs AJK Vice Chancellors Conference

MIRPUR (AJK), July 16 (APP) ::AJK President Sardar Masood Khan has said that all public sector
universities of AJK will leverage their collective strengths towards providing
students from AJK and Pakistan with the latest education facilities
and making concrete efforts in promoting research and innovation.
AJK President Masood Khan made these comments while chairing the
Vice Chancellors Conference of AJK public sector universities in the State’s
capital town on Monday.
Vice Chancellor of the Mirpur University of Science & Technology Mirpur (MUST), Prof. Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman, (Sitara e Imtiaz), Prof. Dr. Kaleem Abbasi, VC University of AJK, Muzaffarabad (UAJK); Prof. Dr. Rasul Jan, VC University of Poonch (UoP); Prof. Dr. Haleem Khan, VC Women University of AJK, Bagh;; and Prof. Dr. Dilnawaz Gardezi, VC University of Kotli attended the conference.
Various matters relating to the universities, including the introduction of new
disciplines, establishment of sub-campuses, job fairs, conducting seminars and
conferences, enactment of statutes, inter-university competitions, and other financial,
administrative and academic issues were brought under discussion.
The Vice Chancellors informed the President – who is also the Chancellor of AJK Public
Sector Universities – on the progress on drafting statutes of their respective
universities.
Statutes of University of Kotli, Poonch, Bagh and MUST were in
final stages of being drafted and the President was assured that these statutes
will be placed for approval in the near future.
The President, in a previous meeting, urged the universities to organize job-fairs,
and also to organise seminars on issues like the Kashmir issue and
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
It was informed that University of Kotli, UoP and UAJK would organise job-fairs in the first week of September, while Women University Bagh will hold their job-fair by the mid of August.
The President advised expediting all arrangements in order to ensure the job-fairs are held
on time.
Prof. Dr. Dilnawaz informed that the University of Kotli would also be organizing an
International Science Conference in October, this year.
Reiterating the need to create awareness and to acknowledge the sacrifices of the founding
fathers of AJK, the President highlighted the need to organise seminars/conferences on prominent personalities.
It was decided that seminars/conferences on the lives and contributions of
Sardar Ibrahim Khan, Sardar Abdul Qayyum, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Ali Ahmad Shah, Fateh
Muhammad Khan Karelvi, Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah, K. H. Khurshid, Captain Khan Muhammad Khan (Khan of Mong) and Col. Khan Muhammad Khan (Baba-e-Poonch) would be organized at the universities.
The President said that contributors be invited to submit their scholarly papers on these personalities so as to be presented in the conferences.
The President was apprised of the status of Mong and Abbaspur sub-campuses of UoP;
Pallandri sub-campus of MUST and the sub-campuses of UAJK at Hattian Bala and
Neelum. The President said that work on the sub-campuses be completed on time
so that classes may be initiated soon. He also advised VC UoP that issues
relating to land-acquisition for Kahuta campus be resolved on priority. He said
that by establishing sub-campuses, the students of these areas will be provided
quality higher education near their homes.
President AJK also advised VC UoP for promoting research on developing horticulture and
floriculture products, which in turn would also help generate revenue for the
university. The VC informed that orchards are being established at the
university which will be ready by next year. He also said that students and
researchers at UoP are researching on mushroom production which will help
introduce local farmers to new value crops.
The President was also informed that the issue relating to accommodation of
students at the Women University of AJK, Bagh will soon be resolved.
The President recommended to the Vice Chancellors to streamline financial and
administrative issues of the universities and help rationalise spending on
academic and development activities.
Masood Khan urged upholding the highest standards of merit in admissions,
recruitments and promotions.
He added “It is our aim to make our universities centres of excellence in order to cater to students form not only AJK but from all over the country and region.’