Newly enrolled 86 students given orientation of their courses.
The 5th batch of Master of Science (MS)—fall session 2018—was formally started with its courses at US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro on Tuesday.
This batch comprises a total of 86 students including 25 female students enrolled in different MS programs including Hydraulics, Irrigation and Drainage (HID), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Environmental Engineering (Env. Eng) and in Water, Sanitation and Health (WSH) Sciences at MUET Water Center.
USPCAS-W is set up by the US government through USAID with the state-of-the-art centers for advanced studies in water, energy, agriculture and food security sectors. MUET Water Center is one of the leading regional centers of excellence in water in South Asia and is supported by the University of Utah, USA.
The students of the new batch were welcomed and thus given orientation at a ceremony held at the USPCAS-W, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Jamshoro on Tuesday.
Speaking in the ceremony, Project Director USPCAS-W MUET Dr. Bakhshal Lashari said water played an important role in the economic development of any nation adding water scarcity had emerged as a global challenge and the countries like Pakistan faced acute shortage of water.
He said that water sector played an important role in the economy of Pakistan and, at present depleting natural source due to the rapid growth of populations had exposed the need of an efficient and critical management of this sector.
Dr. Jeffery Layton Ullman, Associate Research Professor at the University of Utah (UU), USA and the technical advisor to the Center said that USPCAS-W was committed to change the academic culture of Pakistan through the partnership, which also encompassed curriculum development, teaching, mentoring, research, and the establishment of new laboratories.
Dr. Ullman said the center offered scholarships for higher studies and research in the water sector, while the University of Utah provided technical support to produce water leaders in the country.
Dr. Rasool Bux Mahar, Deputy Director (Academics and Research) shared academic guidelines and research process with the students.
Dr. Kamran Ansari, Director Career Counseling, and Placement briefed about the academic guidelines and introduced the faculty to the enrolled students. He said that as per requirement 90 percent attendance was mandatory which also helped the students to be shortlisted for the exchange program – the key component of the Center.
Engr. Mujawar Malik and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Shahid Panhwar conducted a session on Moodle Learning Management System (LMS)
