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KU planning to set up Information Technology Department: Dr Zaidi

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Dr. Zafar H Zaidi, Vice Chancellor of Karachi University, said that the university is planning to establish an Information Technology Department at a cost of Rs 26.4 million.

Speaking at a meeting of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Thursday, he said that the university had got no development grant since last 15 years and added that this project will be completed with the help and assistance of philanthropists.

He informed the meeting that so far philanthropists had committed to provide Rs. 10 million and hoped that rest of the amount would be arranged soon.

The Information Technology Department will initially have 400 latest computers with internet connection so that the student, of this university should benefit from this facility.

He recalled that the Karachi University was established in 1951 with four department and now it has 52 different departments and 13,000 enrolled students in morning shift and 3000 in evening shift.

He said so far almost seven million students have completed their studies from this institution and added that if all these alumnis contributed only one rupee per day in the development fund of the university it would need no other grant to run its affairs.

The Vice Chancellor said that the university would welcome research projects for industrial benefits on their funding. The university has well qualified staff and infrastructure to handle such projects.

Replying to a question, he said at the behest of World Bank and IMF, the government had stopped financing higher education projects as they encouraged education projects at lower levels.

He admitted that the universities in Pakistan became just granting degrees and education standard had gone down considerably. "It all happened due to non-release of development fund by the government in past 15 years. We are still using equipment which was installed in the university during 60s", he noted.

Welcoming the guests, KCCI President Amjaj Rafi said according to government circles, the rate of literacy in Pakistan was 45 percent, although the top educationists and other social scientists contests this figure and describe the effective rate between 10 to 15 percent.