ISLAMABAD:Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology in a meeting held here Tuesday directed the officials of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to present a comprehensive plan of running the university’s Quetta campus on renewable energy before the committee.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chairman Committee Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen.
The meeting discussed the work and performance of National University of Science and Technology, details of relevant departments and campuses, details of province-wise permanent contract employees, review of vacancies, number of students from underdeveloped areas with annual budget, scholarships were reviewed in detail.
It was informed in the committee meeting that the teaching process at NUST University was started in 2019 in a temporary building in Quetta while the campus in Quetta is in the final stages of completion.
The meeting of the Standing Committee reviewed in detail the progress of NUST University’s Quetta Campus.
Chairman Committee Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen also directed that priority should be given to local people for recruitment in the institution.
On which the standing committee was informed that local people are being given priority there and teachers and employees of Balochistan are being recruited on the basis of provincial quota.
Chairman Committee Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen directed to pay more attention to water resource, energy crisis, renewable energy and mineral resources in NUST University Quetta Campus.
Chairman Committee, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen and members of the committee expressed their displeasure over the absence of the Rector of NUST University.
It was informed that in the governing structure of NUST, the President is the Patron in Chief and the Prime Minister is the Chancellor.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz said that NUST is a unique university which has been established in an entire sector of Islamabad.
He said that the federal government was working for vocational training along with teaching and learning of students and steps were being taken to set up industries in NUST so that vocational training could be made available.
It was informed in the meeting of the standing committee that all the energy programs of NUST University are in accordance with Washington Accord and 30 undergraduate, 66 MS / M.Phil and 42 PhD programs have been offered in the teaching programs this year.
NUST University has more than 350 different labs which are providing research support.
Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen directed to present the master plan of NUST University Islamabad Campus in the next meeting of the Standing Committee.
Standing Committee was informed that the number of students in NUST University is more than 21,000 and this year a total of 358 scholarships have been awarded to students of different fields.
The officials said that the annual budget of NUST University is Rs. 3180 million of which 51 percent is generated by NUST University and 49 percent is provided by the government.
In the meeting of the standing committee, Senator Humayun Mohmand raised the issue of fees for the children of the employees of the university and emphasized that more relief should be given to the children of the employees.
Senators Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, Fauzia Arshad, Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Liaquat Khan Tarakai, Naseema Ehsan, Engineer Rukhsana Zubairi besides Secretary Science and Technology and NUST University officials attended the meeting.