New Batch Joins USPCAS-W at MUET

Welcome and orientation ceremony for the second batch of MS students of U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W) held at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro today. In the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Aslam Uqaili, Vice Chancellor MUET, said that water is one of the most important commodity of the daily life, and applied research in water is need of the day to overcome the water challenges faced by Pakistan. Dr. Uqaili said that in order to tackle the water crisis of Pakistan, USPCAS-W has been established in MUET, with financial assistance of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and technical support provided by University of Utah (UU), United States. He said that USPCAS-W is a state-of-the-art water research center of Pakistan, dedicated to contribute in resolving water crisis of the country through applied research, developing human capital, and academia-industry collaboration and policy formulation.

Vice Chancellor Dr. Uqaili said that MUET is the first public sector university of the country with institutionalized the gender equity policy for encouragement and empowerment of women engineers. While congratulating the students of the new batch of the center, Dr. Uqaili said that they should take maximum benefit of the facilities provided by MUET to cater their study and research needs. He further said that after getting their MS/PhD degrees, they shall become quality professionals and serve as MUET ambassadors in building bridge between the academia and industry.

On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Bakhshal Khan Lashari said that importance of water is global and there is dire need of high quality professionals to tackle the water issues faced by today’s world in general and Pakistan in particular. He said that USPCAS-W at MUET with the support of USAID and UU trying its best to produce water leaders in the field of water. Keeping in view the significance of water and sanitation, two-year MS program in Water, Sanitation, and Health Sciences (WaSHS) has also been introduced from this year.

He further told the students about the benefits of the project including Rs.15000 per month stipend, transport, and hostel accommodation for female students. Later on;Dr. Kamran Ansari, Deputy Project Director gave presentation regarding the academic rules, code of conduct and MUET & UU partnership along with  internship opportunities and other facilities provided by the project. Prof. Dr. Tauha Hussain Ali, Pro-Vice Chancellor , Prof. Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rahman Memon, Dean Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Rafique Ahmed Chandio, Director Administration USPCAS-W, Ms. Shabnam Baloch, Gender and Communication Specialist UU, USPCAS-W faculty and other staff of the Center also attended the ceremony. Whereas the students of newly enrolled second batch were also taken for a university tour wherein there visited MUET Library, GIS/Computer Labs, Gymnasium, under-construction building of USPCAS-W and Student-Teacher Center. On this occasion, they were also briefed by Ms. Uzma Imran, Ms. Rakhshanda, Ms. Hadiqa Maqsood and other faculty members regarding Gender Equity Policy and its future plans and Society of Water Managers at USPCAS-W.