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PU plagiarists: 125 years celebration
PU acclaimed for showing plagiarists the door
Lahore, March 11, 2008: World's renowned physicists and their organisations
have commended the Punjab University (PU) chancellor's action against five
plagiarists, while some experts have demanded that heavy fines be imposed on the
convicts for damaging the repute of 125-year-old prestigious educational
institution.
PU Chancellor and Governor Khalid Maqbool had sent on
compulsory retirement five teachers of Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP) –
Prof Dr Fazl-i-Aleem, Rashid Ahmad, Sohail Afzal Tahir, M Alam Saeed and Maqsood
Ahmad – for plagiarism on the recommendations of a high-level inquiry
committee.
In a news release issued here on Monday, the PU stated that
some of its teachers were propagating against the decision and actually
challenging the powers of the chancellor.
It stated that a vast majority
of scientists and educationists had welcomed the action against the plagiarists
and a number of prestigious international and national organisations as well as
scientists were contacting the university for educational and research
collaboration in the wake of this decision.
The news release said that
John Ellis of Centre European de Recherche Nucleaire (CERN), a European
organisation for nuclear research, had congratulated the PU administration for
taking action against the plagiarists.
John Ellis, a most respected
scientist in the high energy physics, in an e-mail sent to the PU
vice-chancellor had sought that how CERN and PU could develop
relations.
The news release said the CERN was parting its ways from the
PU after the plagiarism case surfaced and it was considering closing the doors
of its research laboratories for Pakistanis. However, now the CERN physics
leader wanted enhancing relationship with the PU, it added.
Former
permanent faculty member and director external activities of Abdul Salam
International Centre for Physics, Trieste, Italy, Dr Faheem Husain has also
commended the decision of sending CHEP teachers on compulsory retirement. Dr
Husain, who is now associated with LUMS School of Science and Engineering, has
stated: "Congratulations on getting rid of plagiarists at CHEP. Well
done!"
Prof Asghar Qadir from Centre for Advanced Mathematics and
Physics, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), has also sent an
e-mail saying: "Congratulations on the final action that has been taken in the
plagiarism issue against five CHEP faculty members. This was important to
restore credibility of the Physics and Mathematics community of the Punjab
University and indeed of Pakistan. We look forward to further action from you so
that PU stands as an example and role model for all other universities and
research centres in Pakistan. We assure you of full support in this battle
against plagiarists."
Prof Riazuddin, director-general of National Centre
for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, has also lauded the PU
administration for the action taken against plagiarists and added that the move
was very important to restore the credibility of physics teachers and students
of the PU and the country.
Meanwhile, the Higher Education Commission
(HEC) has decided releasing PU's Rs110 million grant, which was earlier stopped
after plagiarism case emerged.
HEC executive-director Dr Sohail Naqvi has
lauded the PU chancellor's decision of sending five plagiarists on compulsory
retirement and announced that the PU grants would be released soon.
PU's pending grant: On February 24, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive
Director Dr Sohail H Naqvi had said the HEC would release PU's pending grant of
Rs 110 million. The grant had earlier been stopped by the HEC last year due to
the plagiarism issue. He reaffirmed on Monday the HEC would release the grant
soon. Dawn
PU celebrates 125 years
Lahore: The Punjab University (PU)
Centre for Excellence in Molecular Biology will organise its Bio-Forum
Exhibition 2008 from March 25 to March 28 in connection with celebrating 125
years of the university.
According to a press release issued by the PU,
the committee, organising the forum, met with Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran
in the chair on Monday. Prof Sheikh Riazuddin, the chief organiser of the forum,
said the event would provide a platform for the academia to present their
inventions and innovations in the field of biotechnology. "The forum will hold
discussions among the academics and industrialists," he said, adding that the
event was held every two year.
Farooq Amjad Mir, member of the organising
committee, said universities could generate funds on their own by organising
such forums. He said a strategy for the media should be evolved to promote such
productive activities. Dr Rozina Tufail said a database should be made of the PU
teachers that worked with the industry.
Kamran said the forum would help
promote various biotech inventions because a large number of industrialists
would participate in the event. According to the release, Governor Lt Gen (r)
Khalid Maqbool will inaugurate the forum on March 24 at 10am. The launching
ceremony will be followed by a forensic training course and then the Bio
Symposium will be held at 2pm. On March 26, the Molecular Biology Symposium will
be held at 9am. On March 27, workshops on Patents and Bt Cotton (a certain
variety of cotton known as Bacillus thuringiensis) and DNA for Justice will be
held at 1pm and 3pm respectively. Daily Times
UVAS researcher completes PhD
Lahore: Hassan Mahmood Warriach, a research coordinator of the
Pakistan-Australia Dairy Improvement Project, has completed his PhD at the
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS). According to a press
statement issued on Monday, the PhD thesis of Hassan, the first PhD from the
Department of Theriogenology/Animal Reproduction, was tilted as ěOvarian
follicular dynamics during oestrous cycle, timing of ovulation, synchronisation
of oestrus and fertility in Nili-Ravi buffaloes. He conducted his research
under the supervision of Prof Nasim Ahmad. The News
A varsity which never went beyond groundbreakings
Okara: The shifting of the University of Education main campus
from Okara to Lahore has drawn flak from the public throughout the
district.
The university has a sort of unique record to its credit as six
foundation stone laying ceremonies of the campus have been held since 2005
without being placed a single brick on its foundation at a proposed site on the
GT Road between Okara and Renala Khurd town.
Governor Khalid Maqbool has
the honour of laying the foundation stone twice, the recent being on March 7
wherein he announced that the Okara would have only the sub-campus. In a similar
ceremony in December 2006, the governor had declared to shift the main campus
from Lahore to Okara.
The idea of setting up the University of Education
sub-campus in Okara was floated by Prof Ghulam Mustafa Habibullah, who later
became its first vice-chancellor. Established on the Government Islamia High
School premises, its senior headmaster Chaudhry Jamil Akhtar Javid initiated
B.Ed classes on the sub-campus.
After getting political support from the
then defence minister Rao Sikander Iqbal, Jamil Akhtar along with
vice-chancellor Habibullah agreed to shift the main campus from Lahore to
Okara.
Despite a stiff opposition by the Board of Revenue secretary,
Punjab, then DCO Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Kamboh succeeded in getting a 205 acres
of land allotted to the university.
Former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi,
on the pressing demand of Rao Sikander Iqbal, had allowed the transfer of the
land to the university.
In January 2006, vice-chancellor Dr Habibullah
laid the first foundation stone of the university at the site.
On the
invitation of Rao Sikander Iqbal, then federal education minister and Higher
Education Commission (HEC) chairman Dr Attaur Rehman again laid the foundation
stone of the university on Aug 18, 2006.
In his speech, the HEC chairman
had vehemently said that the name of the University of Education, Lahore, had
been changed to University of Education, Okara, while the university in Lahore
would work as sub-campus.
On the same day, Rao Sikander Iqbal had also
laid the foundation stone of the university students center.
In 2007, Dr
Munawar Mirza became the new vice-chancellor of the university. From the day she
assumed the office rumours started taking a round that she was not interested in
shifting the main campus from Lahore.
In January 2008, Dr Munawar visited
the proposed site of the university in Okara and yet again laid the foundation
stone of the campus.
Jamil Akhtar Javid filed a complaint No 85/01/08 in
the office of the Punjab ombudsman against Governor/Chancellor Khalid Maqbool
and vice-chancellor Prof Dr Munawar Mirza, which will be taken up on March
19. Dawn
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| Education News | | Updated: 25 May, 2012 |
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