PhD scholarships project | FDE scholarships

Ministry shelves 400 PhD scholarships project
Islamabad, Mar 24: A project of 400 foreign Ph.D. scholarships for strengthening human resource development in the Ministry of Science and Technology has been deferred again due to financial constraints, it is reliably learnt.

The Rs50 million project initiated by the Ministry of Science and Technology for the development of sound high-tech manpower in the emerging field of science and technology but the government has slashed its funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) during this financial year. It was envisaged that besides a project director, staff of approximately 9 persons would be hired.

The project titled 'Strengthening of HRD in the MoST & its organisations (Development of 400 PhDs)' was approved in the financial year 2008-09 but due to non-allocation of funds it could not be started.

Due to non-availability of Ph.Ds and inadequate high-tech manpower in the specialised fields of science and technology organisations under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry envisaged the programme to produce 400 Ph.Ds in emerging fields of science and technology who would be driving force to uplift the industrial base of Pakistan.

Moreover, 200 scientists of science and technology organisations were also to be trained for a period of 3-6 months by sending them abroad. The Nation

HEC seeks PhD students' record
Islamabad: Higher Education Commission (HEC) has asked all the universities to provide it information regarding students, doing PhD, as it has decided to issue a directory, containing names of PhD degree holders from 1947 to 2008 for the protection of data and verification of degrees.

"The project will be approved in a meeting of (HEC) Board of Governors to be held on March 31," said HEC Director Dr Riaz while talking to this agency on Sunday.

"Speedy work is in progress on the project and the commission would issue the names of PhD students in gazette form while all investigative data (thesis) would be provided on the website of the commission so that the new students could get access to the information and protect the data from plagiarism," he maintained. online

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FDE to award scholarships to outstanding students
Islamabad: As many as 500 students of middle and matriculation level will get scholarships on merit under the centralised system of examinations conducted by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) last year.

"The scholarship will be provided to students of Islamabad Model Colleges and private institutions within two weeks," official sources told this news agency on Saturday.

They said that these scholarships would be given purely on the basis of merit in the centralised primary and middle level examinations held under the FDE.

About 300 top students, including 150 girl students of middle standard will get a scholarship amounting to Rs 200 on monthly basis for a period of three years. While 100 boys of matriculation and the same number of girl students will get Rs 300 per month for two years, sources added. App

QAU holds spring flowers exhibition
Islamabad: Spring arrived with its own share of colours and happiness. Multicoloured flowers can be seen blooming in gardens, parks and dividers of the Capital. To mark the arrival of this beautiful and much-cherished season, the Horticulture Cell of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) held its annual Spring Flowers Exhibition. The exhibition, which was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Dr Qasim Jan will continue till March 25.

A multitude of flowerpots can be seen arranged in symmetric patterns in the area between the Physics and the Administration buildings, extending up to the Central Library of QAU. Flowers of different colours, shapes and sizes are visible in gardens, on tiny artificial hills and in pots lining walkways and fountains.Among the plants, everyday flowers like pansies and petunias are common and are present in almost every colour. Then there are flowers with names quite novel to the common man's knowledge, however they possess beauty that can stir our spirits. Among these, the ranunculus, which is a flower producing clusters of up to three cup-shaped layers of petals, is present in fairly large numbers.

Another group of eye-catching flowers are the gazanias, ranging in colours from yellow to brown and golden, with striking contrasting central zones.

Written test mandatory for SHOs
Islamabad: Inspector General of Police, Islamabad Syed Qalb-e-Abbas has made compulsory a written test for police officials for their appointment as Station House Officers.

An objective paper will be taken in which they will have to take 65 marks out of 100 to get appointed as Station House Officer and others failing to get 65 marks will be declared ineligible.

The first test of this nature was held here on Monday in which several inspectors took part but its result was still awaited.

The IG had issued Standard Operational Procedure in which the inspectors were directed to prepare themselves for the test, adding that anyone who wanted to be SHO will have to pass the test.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police Islamabad, Tahir Alam Khan has transferred SHO Margalla Police Station, Mohammad Nawaz Bhatti and sought explanation. However, new SHO had to be appointed in his place. The Nation

Pre-school graduation ceremony held
Islamabad: A colourful and lively Pre-School Graduation Ceremony of Shaheen School System was held in picturesque setting of Margalla Hills, says a press release issued here Sunday.

Song, music and the tender gestures of little children added to the spirit of the occasion. It was a big day for the kids as well as their proud parents. The function commenced with a beautiful welcome song, which was followed by tableau, skits, individual and group activity and a host f well conceived items. The audience loudly applauded the efforts of the students.

The children stage activity was followed by prize distribution and oath taking ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Begum Munazza Arshad Sethi, wife of the managing director Shaheen Foundation, appreciated the hard work and dedicated efforts of Madam Tayyabah Khalid the Section Head and the teaching faculty. She observed the small children were like clay and could be moulded into the desired shape. "As teachers and elders it is our responsibility to pay individual attention to the needs of each child." The News

IIU to celebrate cultural week from 26th
Islamabad: The International Islamic University (IIU) women campus would hold its annual international cultural week from 26th March to 28th March.

It is a much-celebrated event, which includes the participation of a large body of national and international students, faculty members, diplomats, and prominent social figures, says a press release of the university.

As per programme, the inauguration ceremony would be on March 26th at 10:30 am the venue for inauguration ceremony is female Cafeteria.

While closing ceremony would be held on Saturday (March 28th) at 11:30 am at the female Campus of international Islamic university. Ppi

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KMU VC slot, denying due right to other aspirants
Peshawar: The short-listing process for the post of vice-chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU) has reportedly been manipulated in a way so as to catapult a few selected candidates for the interview, denying due right to other aspirants.

Nowadays the modus operandi for choosing blue-eyed is to develop criteria for short-listing that benefits only the favourites. The same technique was adopted in the selection of chief executives for the four tertiary care hospitals of the province and now merit appeared to be the casualty in the selection of the VC, said a source in Health Department.

The interviews for the post were held Thursday last where eight aspirants were called for interview.

Many deserving candidates, who have good background, were entirely ignored. Citing an example, the source said that an assistant professor of dentistry was short-listed who did not have any administrative or academic background but a recently retired professor and principal of Khyber Medical College was not considered for the interview.

Similarly, former chief executive of Ayub Medical Complex and Head of Surgery Department at Ayub Medical College was not even considered for the interview, he added.

Criticising the criteria for short-listing, a senior professor said it was a tailored criteria because very junior professors were short listed while professors with 10-15 years experience were totally ignored. He said the Health Department should have told about the criteria on which they short- listed the candidates.

"It shows that the whole exercise was meant to accommodate the blue-eyed person. It cannot be called as a transparent process," he added.

The senior doctors expressed their disappointment over the selection procedure and said that politicians would influence the decision.

They were of the opinion that depriving the senior doctors even of appearing in the interview was seen as an act of total indifference towards merit.

Attack on Malakand University fails
Peshawar: The deadly attack on the University of Malakand in Chakdara town of Lower Dir district with threat of more such attempts in future failed to keep the nearly 3,000 students away from studies there.

Equally determined is the teaching and administrative staff members, who are struggling to continue disseminating knowledge to future nation builders from this backward and mountainous region.

"The morale of our students is high despite the attack and they have been attending their classes as before," the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Dr Muhammad Rasool Jan, said. He said that BA, B.Sc examinations from first to eighth term were in progress, adding that the attack had not affected the process of examinations.

The vice-chancellor also said the students of masters programmes were also taking classes regularly and unhindered. It shows the resolve of the students to carry on their education despite serious threats.

"Let me make it crystal clear that the attack has not broken our resolve to continue the process of education here. Before the incident, I used to come at 9 in the morning but now I reach my office at 8:30 am to send a strong message that we are not scared," he added.

The vice-chancellor claimed that after the incident, he had started visiting hostels during nights to boost the morale of students. "Even female students are in high spirits despite the threats," he remarked.

The university was attacked by 40-60 heavily armed militants on Wednesday, killing four police officials and a guard. Officials of the university said that another attempt to attack this educational institution was also made on Thursday but the guards warded it off.

The university, he resolved, would not be closed as he enjoyed the support of the government and local people. "I thank the people of Dir and (Adenzai) Amn Jirga for extending support. People have declared it an attack on their honour and offered to provide volunteers for the security of the university. I am not alone at this critical juncture," he said.

It could not be ascertained as to why the militants have been bent upon targeting this nascent seat of learning. When asked, Muhammad Rasool said that the government had arrested some of the militants involved in attack on the university and should properly question them to know the reasons. "It's now the responsibility of the government to unearth the elements and motives behind this attack and stop such happenings in future," he said and hastened to add that the university vehicles had not been returned yet.

About the security steps for the university after the attack, he said that no educational institution was ready to fend off such attacks.

However, he said that some measures had been taken to beef up security while others were underway.

"We have placed a request with the government through district coordination officer and Malakand commissioner to deploy scouts at the campus," he added. The News

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