Fulbright Programme for Pakistani students

Fulbright Programme blessing for talented students: Fulbright Scholar
Islamabad, Apr 24: Fulbright Programme, initiated 60 years ago to provide financial help and assistance to students is being appreciated by the Pakistani community especially those who could not afford to get education in the American universities to heavy expenditures. A number of scholars, who completed their Master's degrees and Ph.D from different American universities with the help of Fulbright Programme, termed it a blessing and life time achievement.

The programme, started in September 1950 - and the first Pakistanis and Americans traveled each way that same year.

It was one of the very first agreements of its kind between the two countries and has since been extended to 144 countries around the world.

During the last 60 years, nearly 4,000 Pakistanis and Americans have participated in Fulbright exchanges administered by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan.

A blind Dr.Kamal ud Din, a Ph.D. scholar, who completed his Doctorate from Indian University, Pennsylvania under this Fulbright Programme, said it was a wonderful facility for those who wanted to improve their education.

Dr. Kamal who is Prof of English at F.C. College Lahore did his Ph.D. said, "It's  a blessing and very useful option."

Referring to facilities being provided during his stay in America, he said, he was provided with all type of facilities so that he was fully confident to concentrate on his study.

He as blind, therefore, he was first sent to an institute for getting training how to live independently in United States during his study and it proved very useful and encouraging for him.

Another Fulbright Scholar Khurshid Marwat, who did his masters in Public Administration is a teacher at Institute of Business Administration Karachi termed the programme very encouraging    and supportive.

He said the programme is very important and playing pivotal role for those who want to get higher education but could not do so due to financial constraints.

Khurshid Marwat, who is also an officer in the Income Tax Department, said the Fulbright Programme, helping Pakistani students and teachers to improve their professional skill in different fields.

Appreciating the role of US Educational Foundation in Pakistan, he said, their efforts were very important in finalising the process for the new scholars.

Many other scholars, appreciating the Fulbright Programme said, it was a source to fulfil the dreams of those who could not afford to go abroad for higher education. App

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Power outages at QAU
Islamabad: Taking serious notice of frequent power outages, the Academic Staff Association (ASA) of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has warned that if the problem was not resolved immediately, faculty members would be left with no choice but to agitate.

The warning was issued through a unanimous resolution passed in a recent executive council meeting of the ASA. The members complained that all academic and research activities have come to a standstill due to electricity loadshedding.

It urged the QAU and Higher Education Commission authorities to influence Iesco to exempt the university from loadshedding as had been done in other educational institutions like Punjab University, International Islamic University and National University of Sciences and Technology.

Frequent breakdowns delay the experiments in many departments. In the departments of chemistry, plant sciences, animal sciences, microbiology, biochemistry and biotechnology costly chemicals and material go waste. In some cases, appliances and equipment also got destroyed or damaged. The university had to install generators in many laboratories where experiments sometimes take days to complete.

The other day, students staged a protest demonstration at the administration block to press their demands like improvement in hostel conditions and canteens but one of their major complaints was the menace of loadshedding which interrupted their studies. In this age of multimedia and other educational aids, QAU, ranked No 1 university of the country by HEC and second in the Muslim world, is facing problems in imparting education to its students because of wrong policies of rulers who did not install a single power plant in the country in 12 years after 1996.

In the early years, QAU had its power connection from the Islamabad Club grid station through underground cables but later the link was shifted to Bhara Kahu grid via overhead wires. Whenever there was dust storm, the cable link was disrupted due to falling of cables, polls or trees which took hours to repair. Being a green area, QAU was in darkness while nearby shining dhokes and villages like Barri Imam and Narhel bustled with activity. This still happens during harsh weather.

Bhara Kahu grid being a rural station was subjected to greater loadshedding hours and the urban area of QAU became a victim of this added problem which was like rubbing salt on its wounds.

It was due to this menace that QAU decided to have a power link from the grid station inside Diplomatic Enclave through underground link. With a lot of efforts, the university managed to get and pay a demand note of Rs22 million to Iesco in 2007. According to reports Iesco dug out the trench for the purpose but a row with CDA not allowing it to pass the cables through roads operated by the civic body has stalled the process.

The Campus community is facing the music due to fight between two departments of the Federal Metropolis.

The ASA reiterated that the university authorities should actively pursue the pending issue of electricity supply from the Diplomatic Enclave. The news

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Edu institutions to stay closed today
ISLAMABAD: All schools and colleges working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) will remain closed today (Saturday). This was announced by Federal Directorate of Education Director General Shaheen Khan. Shaheen Khan told APP that a formal notification about closure of federal government and model educational institutions for two days a week would be sent to all concerned on Monday. FDE made the announcement in line with a decision taken by the government to close all institutions for two days a week to lessen impact of the ongoing energy crisis in the country. app

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BISE Rawalpindi practical exams today
RAWALPINDI, April 23: Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) on Friday announced that practical examinations for senior school certificate (SSC) would be held as per schedule on Saturday.

The BISE spokesperson, Arsalan Cheema said that though the government had announced two holidays in a week the schedule for the practical tests could not be changed for April 24.

Separately the board said its annual prize distribution ceremony for the winners of different events of sports held by Rawalpindi BISE would be held on Saturday at Sixth Road Women College.

The prizes would be given to the winners of the competitions for 2008-2009. The chief guest on the occasion will be MNA Hanif Abbasi. Dawn

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RMC principal's office detects another irregularity
Rawalpindi: The office of the Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) principal and Allied Hospitals in-charge has detected another irregularity and shifted one of its accounts having Rs18 million to the Bank of Punjab from a private bank.

At the end of 2007, the RMC and Allied Hospitals launched a four-year BSc programme having affiliation with the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, in five different courses, including Optometry, Medical Imaging Technology, Orthotics & Prosthetics, Physiotherapy and Medical Laboratory Technology.

At that time, on the directives of the then RMC principal, Dr. Muhammad Mussadiq Khan, the account containing fees of students of the BSc programme was opened in a private bank at Commercial Market, Satellite Town, against rules and regulations framed by the Punjab government.

At the time of launch of the courses, Dr. Naveed Iftikhar Maken serving in BPS 19 was made BSc programme coordinator, who along with the then RMC principal, was operating the account in the private bank. After retirement of Dr. Maken, a lady doctor serving in Grade 17, Dr. Shazia, was made coordinator of the programme who started operating the account along with Dr. Mussadiq.

As per rules, the RMC principal should have operated a bank account containing revenue generated by the RMC and Allied Hospitals jointly with the finance director at the principal's office but the finance director was not involved in the matter.

It is pertinent to mention that Dr. Shazia is the wife of an ex-MPA from a constituency in Rawalpindi.

RMC Principal and In-charge Allied Hospitals Professor Dr. Mohammad Afzal Farooqi, who has taken charge recently, shifted the account from the private bank to the Bank of Punjab last week. "Dr. Farooqi has informed the provincial health secretary of the irregularity that was done when Dr. Mussadiq Khan was the RMC principal," said the official spokesman of the principal's office, Professor Dr. Abbas Hayat.

It is learned that Dr. Farooqi shifted the account from the private bank to the Bank of Punjab and directed that it would be operated by him, along with the finance director, at his office. However he did not order an inquiry into the matter to fix responsibility on those involved in the irregularity.

Dr. Hayat, when asked whether the RMC principal has ordered to examine the bank account for any possible embezzlement in it, he said that no such orders have yet been passed. "The principal's office has not ordered an inquiry into the case as yet," he said while responding to a query.

Dr. Mohammad Afzal Farooqi, when contacted, said that he has informed the Punjab health secretary about the matter and it is his jurisdiction to constitute an inquiry committee, if necessary. "The health secretary will decide whether the opening and operating an account in a private bank containing revenue generated by the RMC and Allied Hospitals is an irregularity or not," he said.

To a query, he said that he had shifted the account from the private bank to the Bank of Punjab as it was in accordance with rules and regulations. "However, I did not constitute any inquiry committee because penalising or framing charge-sheet is not the job of the principal's office," he said.

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City School holds sports gala
Rawalpindi: The senior, junior and nursery branches of the City School in cantonment participated in their annual sports day at Pasban Sports Complex, says a press release issued here on Friday.

Senator Dilawar Hussain graced the occasion as chief guest.

The event began with the ceremonial march in which all houses of the school took part. It was followed by an oath-taking ceremony.

The students of nursery branch presented a potpourri of colourful displays. It was followed by track and field events of nursery branch.

After nursery branch, the athletes of junior and senior branches descended on the track to make their mark. The overall mood was festive and students cheered athletes of their respective houses. The track and field events included 400m, 800m, 4X400m relay race, tug of war, slow cycling, football, long jump and short put.

The fever of athletics got hold of parents and teachers as well. The 100-metre races were organised for parents. The staff members of the respective branches took part in the 100-metre race. The students cheered their parents and teachers as they sped past. The news

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