MIRPUR (AJK)-AJK President Sardar Masood Khan has emphasised the need to invest in innovative and cutting-edge disciplines at the public sector universities across AJK helping promote higher education.
The president was chairing the Senate Committee meeting of the Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) at Jammu and Kashmir House Sunday.
Emphasizing the need to invest in human resource, innovation and research, the president urged organising job fairs at all universities and inviting relevant industry players in finding internships, placements and jobs in the public and private sector organizations. The VC said that the Graduate Placement Bureau has been working in the university and during the last year internships and placements of over 500 students and jobs for 70 students had been secured.
He commended the universities efforts in encouraging community service under various outreach programs like identifying the slope failure of the Mangla Dam at Mirpur-Kotli road by the Civil Engineering Department and providing the technical assistance and consultancy service. He also praised the efforts of MUST in delivering services in Telemedicine in the areas adjoining Mirpur with the assistance Healthcare for All International, UK.
He underlined the need to uphold merit and transparency in appointments and admissions in order to help make AJK Universities nationally and regionally competitive. The president was informed that the University had scored 91.50 points in the league table position in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Quality Guide 2017.
It was informed during the meeting that the establishment of MUST sub-campus at Pallandri has been approved and classes will be initiated at the Government Postgraduate College, Pallandri. The Vice-Chancellor informed that the College premises including hostels would be renovated and developed under the umbrella project and funding of the HEC.
President Masood Khan also instructed that procedural formalities for establishing a full-fledged dedicated sub-campus be completed and so that construction may begin on the 523 kanal and 09 marla plot of land allotted for the project. He urged the university management to ensure the highest educational standards are followed and similarly the best lodging facilities are provided to the students, faculty and the management.
On the occasion, Prof Habibur Rehman, the MUST vice chancellor, also presented a comprehensive report on the achievements and activities of the University. The VC said that over the years, MUST had made great strides and invested in academics. He said a total of 66 PhD faculty members are teaching various disciplines at the university and in the previous year alone 336 research papers have been published in journals of international repute and presented at international and national conferences.