USAID Team Visits USPCAS-W at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro

A delegation of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Pakistan, comprising of Agreement Officer Mr. William Sedlak, Acquisition and Assistance Specialists Mr. Juan Esteban Proano, Mr. Sohail Humayun, Agreement Officer’s Representative Mr. Hafeezullah Samo and others, visited U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W) at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro on Tuesday. The delegation appreciated the performance, documentation and polices adopted by this center. They were of the view that this center will be proved a landmark in resolving Pakistan’s water crisis through applied research, developing specialist human resource and technologies; academia-industry collaboration and policy formulations.

William Sedlak, agreement officer said that USPCAS-W in MUET will generate cost-effective and sustainable solutions to Pakistan’s challenges related to water. The team had meeting with officials of Project Management Unit (PMU) of USPCAS-W at Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), MUET, where they reviewed Administrative, Management, Human Resources, Finance, Students Enrollment and Exchanges, Gender Equity, Communication, Outreach and other policies and procedures adopted by the Center. Project Director USPCAS-W Dr. Bakshal Khan Lahsari briefed about performance, achievements and future academic and research strategies of the Center. Dr. Mohammad Aslam Chaudhry, Chief of Party University of Utah, USA also gave presentation regarding the technical support provided by the Utah University to this center.

While Gender Expert Ms. Shabnam Baloch, briefed about the gender and outreach activities carried out by the center. The team also visited the newly under construction building of the Center at MUET and later on they met with MUET Vice Chancellor Dr. Mohammad Aslam Uqaili at University Guest House, where they exchanged ideas of mutual interest . On this occasion, Vice Chancellor Dr. Uqaili said that MUET believes in global sustainable development goals and the university is trying its best to achieve and sustain these goals at local level. He said MUET, in collaboration with and technical support of USPCAS-W and University of Utah, is encouraging and empowering women scientists and researchers to actively participate in applied research. In this connection, launching of Society of Women Engineers Sindh and Society of Water Resources Managers are recent initiatives, he added.

The Vice Chancellor said that MUET is the first among public sector universities of the country to officially adopt gender policy; the policy was developed with the technical assistance from USPCAS-W-University of Utah and aims at providing equal opportunities to all women and men at MUET. The deans, directors and PMU officials of USPCAS-W accompanied with delegation during their visit to USPCAS-W at MUET.