NED
University’s Deteriorating Standards
By Dr. Aamir Alam
Farooqui
Sunnyvale, CA
I would like to draw the attention
of concerned authorities to the conceited attitude
of the administration of the NED University of
Engineering and Technology, Karachi. It seems
as if they do not realize how their actions can
deprive students of countless opportunities. Any
personal initiative, big or small, to bring technological
growth and advancement is discouraged by the administrative
staff of the university.
I had presented a proposal for setting up a research
center in NED with the help of my friends and
companies in the Silicon Valley, USA. The idea
was to attract students to conduct research in
emerging technologies so that they could keep
abreast of changing trends in the high-tech industry.
The proposal has been willingly accepted by the
Sir Syed University Karachi and the HEJ Institute
of Karachi University. But from the NED University
I did not receive a reply for six months. On my
follow-up of the proposal through the Higher Education
Commission, I received a lengthy charge sheet
from the Vice Chancellor of the NED University
through an email message and later through registered
mail at my office address in California.
The NED University has been recognized as one
of the best engineering schools of Pakistan for
decades. It was the number one choice for prospective
young students to pursue academic careers in the
various disciplines of engineering. Over the years,
NED undertook many steps for expansion by adding
more engineering programs and faculty. Unfortunately,
no attention was given by the management and administration
to improve the quality of education. NED accepts
the best undergraduate students with outstanding
academic ranking, yet after four years of education
they receive at the university they find themselves
struggling with their careers.
Graduating students soon realize that their engineering
degree has no value or recognition - neither in
the industry to help them secure good jobs nor
in the academic institutions world over to continue
higher education. A brilliant student from NED
with exceptional test scores is rejected admission
by top ranking engineering schools like Stanford
and MIT as NED has failed to establish a good
academic standing. On the contrary, its counterparts
like GIK and NUST have been progressive in their
growth making sure their students are well prepared
to meet the challenges of professional life. Consequently,
students graduating from these institutions have
a variety of career options to choose from.
I demand a high-level inquiry to ascertain the
grounds on which the NED administration refused
the proposal for the establishment of research
institutes using foreign grant.
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