Rs 4.1 Billion Grant From Federal Govt To Help IUB In Competing Globally: VC

BAHAWALPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2021 ) :The Rs 4.1 billion grant from the Federal government for the mega projects of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) would help the university in competing with international universities and providing better educational and research facilities to the students with improved infrastructure.

This was told by IUB Vice-Chancellor Engr Prof Dr Athar Mahboob while talking to APP at his office here on Friday.

The VC informed that out of this Rs 4.1 billion grant, Rs 1.1 billion would be used for establishing Ahamdpur East Sub-Campus.

He said the construction of the academic block and hostel at Bahawalnagar Campus were also part of the mega project.

He said that initially Rs 200 million have been granted to the university while Rs 500 million more would be provided this fiscal year from the allocated amount of Rs 4.1 billion.

The mega-project also included the establishment of the Institute of Physics, South Punjab Institute of Agro-Industries and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

He told that the Punjab government has also approved a grant of Rs 200 million for establishing Usman Buzdar school of State Sciences at the university which would include a new building for the programs related to Political Science, Gender Studies and Public Administration.

The new building would comprise classrooms, seminar rooms, workshops facility and offices. He told that three buildings for faculties and new hostels would be constructed under Public-Private Partnership.

The accommodation of about 9000 students in campus would be created with the construction of six new hostels. The new residential apartments would also be constructed for the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university in the next phase.

He further revealed that the IUB was contributing to South Punjab's socio-economic development and approximately 90 per cent of its students belong to three divisions of South Punjab.

He said that many students from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also studying at the university.

He said that dinner was hosted by the university for 150 hostel students from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan who couldn't go to their homes to celebrate Eid. He told that the 2.5 MW solar plant of the university has been completed and would start functioning from next month.

He told that in the future 500 KW solar electricity was expected to be produced from the solar panels installed on the top of the parking of the Faculty of Management Science building.

The vice chancellor told that the infrastructure of the university was being improved to meet the needs of the increased number of students and teaching departments. He told that 40 new classrooms have been added to the old building of the Faculty of Engineering while a new floor was constructed on the College of Art and Design building.

He told the building of the Faculty of Islamic Learning has been revamped. Vice-Chancellor Engr Prof Dr Athar Mahboob while responding to a question told that the number of students at the university has reached 42,000 and would be swelled up to 55,000 by end of this year. To establish a healthy teacher to students ratio, new faculty members were being recruited, he informed.

He told that at present 1050 full-time teachers including 450 PhD qualified teachers and 800 visiting faculty were teaching at the university. He said the number of full-time teachers would be increased up to 1500.

The vice chancellor told that the university was establishing linkages with other universities from across the globe to explore new ventures. He said that under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Sichuan Agricultural University of China, 20 students were sent to the Sichuan Agricultural University on scholarship.