Bahawalpur-The Islamia University of Bahawalpur is experiencing a new era of advancement and expansion since the joining of Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob as priorities have now been redefined with excellence in education on top of the development strategies. The hallmark of the new strategy is to focus on six core values by bringing all stakeholders on board: tolerance, honesty, eco-friendliness, innovation, understanding and being beneficial to others.
Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) is an academic leader par excellence having 25 years of experience in teaching, research and industrial projects in various prestigious institutions in Pakistan and abroad. He got his PhD in Electrical Engineering from National University of Science and Technology and obtained BS and MS degrees from Florida State University USA. Dr. Athar Mahboob founded Ibn Khaldun Systems in 2005 and has undertaken more than 100 industrial projects in the financial, manufacturing, services and defense sectors. He was decorated with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by Government of Pakistan in 2012. Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob, Vice Chancellor declared that the Islamia University of Bahawalpur will be included among 100 top ranked universities globally in coming five years. Our faculty and students are talented enough to be provided right direction and congenial environment to achieve academic excellence. Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob, Vice Chancellor, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur said that the university has all characteristics to become a modern, active and exemplary university.
Steps have been taken to streamline the university affairs which will show positive result very soon. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur received 56,657 applications for bachelor and master programs in admissions of Fall semester 2019. This season the University carried out a comprehensive admissions campaign. In order to project the university academic programs, enhancing visibility of the university in educational horizon and attracting large number of admission seekers, admission cell introduced a smooth online admission process.
Admission facilitation center was also established at Abbasia Campus for guidance of students and parents, as a result immense number of students applied from across Punjab as well as other provinces including Gilgit Baltistan. During the last six months, Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob has paid special attention on improving the boarding facilities as well as food quality in hostels and canteens, availability of standardized medical and transport facilities to students. He announced admissions for position holders on 100% scholarship in all departments of the university. He also directed to launch student societies to inculcate leadership qualities and character building of students.
The University is also planning to introduce market based academic programs and revise the structure of current programs according to the modern needs. Selection boards are being held to recruit the best faculty and meet the deficiency of faculty in the university. Four decades old buildings are being renovated, Management Sciences Department has been shifted to a new building while four new hostels have also been made functional to increase boarding capacity for both male and female students. All these steps have increased confidence in students and parents who applied for admissions in such a large number.
A mega screening and vaccination campaign to make Islamia University of Bahawalpur, the first Hepatitis free university of the country began at Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus in December 2019. As many as 21,000 students, faculty members and employees of the university were screened, tested and provided vaccination and treatment.
This campaign is part of Govt. of the Punjab Hepatitis Control Program and being executed in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur through District Health Authority Bahawalpur. The Academic Council of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur approved two new faculties at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur including faculty of Agriculture and faculty of Veterinary. During recently held convocation, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Governor Punjab awarded degrees and medals to 1416 students including 24 PhDs, 101 MPhil, 1230 BS and MA, MSc and 44 gold and 44 silver medalists. Governor Punjab also inaugurated newly constructed building of Faculty of Management Sciences and Hakra Art Gallery in the College of Art and Design. The Syndicate of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur approved appointments of 135 faculty members besides giving go ahead to developmental projects worth Rs. 300 million.
The syndicate agreed to recommendations of three selection boards held recently and approved hiring and promotions of 28 professors, 51 associate professors, 52 assistant professors and 4 lecturers besides appointment of 2 female medical officers. On recommendations of Finance and Planning Committee, new projects costing approximately Rs 300 million under revised development budget estimates were approved for expansion of transport fleet and start of new routes for students belonging to less privileged areas from nearby towns. Other approved projects included water waste treatment and biogas plant, nursing college and allied health facilities ,renovation and up gradation of buildings, students teacher centre, lecture theatres, security surveillance, IT infrastructure development and automation in administrative departments.