The Faculty of Telecommunications at the Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria organized the CENTRAL Workshop including Training and Competition on Unity 3D for Interactive Content development as part of the CENTRAL Project- Capacity Building and ExchaNge towards attaining Technological Research and modernizing Academic Learning in June 2022. Besides all partner universities of EU Capacity Building in Higher Education Project CENTRAL, various faculty members, researchers, and students across the globe participated in the workshop and competition.
From 6th -9th June 2022, the Technical University of Sofia also Organized IEEE International Black Sea Conference on Communications and Networking at Sofia Technology Park in which many researchers across the globe participated and presented their research work.
On 13th June 2022, a meeting of partner Universities of the CENTRAL Project took place which provided a platform for different sectors to look for new initiatives and future course of action for defining project proposals for the European Commission-funded project. CENTRAL is aimed at enabling employability, internationalization, and interdisciplinary engagement of students and graduates, as well as research staff.
From 14th to 17th June 2022, Training and Competition on Unity 3D was organized. The workshop created an atmosphere for socialization among participants and on the popular happenings in the Digital World specially the importance of Unity 3D was the focus of attention. The delegates from the USA, Spain, Pakistan, Thailand, Denmark, Bulgaria, and India were also present.
From Pakistan, two Universities namely Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro and Sir Syed University of Science and Technology Karachi were part of this training and competition. Engr Muhammad Zakir Shaikh from Mehran University Pakistan secured 1st Position in this International Unity 3D Competition. The second and third positions were secured by researchers from India.
Besides great networking sessions, Various visits were also arranged for the participants including visits to High Tech Laboratories, departments, and visit to Sofia Tech Park. The Overall Objective of this event was to open discussions on innovation and its commercialization through a strong partnership between industries and academia as well as on modern practices and methodologies in cross-/multi-/interdisciplinary areas such as Unity 3D, social science, technology, Business Canvas, and so on. At the end of the event, certificates were distributed among all the participants. Furthermore, Prof Vladimir Poulkov and Associate Professor Agata Manolova of TUS thanked all the participants for being part of this

Pakistan Engineers Forum (PEF) QUEST organized an introductory session and welcome gathering for new members and actively showed their great efforts for PEF organization.
In this session Dr. Intesab Hussain presented a very fruitfull lecture about Freelancing and Ms. Sanam Chandio motivated new members about their future.

Over the years, we have been covering various seminars and gatherings of the engineering community but we rarely come across women engineers on head tables.
Why are women engineers not seen in leadership positions?
In our country where the women population is around 50% this question is very relevant.
When we visit engineering universities there are many female students but after their degrees where have they disappeared?
Indeed, social norms don’t allow many of them to continue. On the other hand, many who have entered the job market are not seen in higher positions.
Why? This is a big question!
When we asked some professional ladies, they blame the male dominating society.
Male engineers knowingly or unknowingly do not give equal opportunities to their female counterparts. They create hurdles in the way of women, this is an opinion of a woman engineer.
When we asked a lady who had previous field experience but is a homemaker now, she replied that as women have responsibilities for their home and kids, therefore they can not continue with their careers.
Whatever the reason, women engineers are not seen as engineering leaders

Punjab government announced this week that free electricity would be provided to all the electricity consumers of the province using 100 units. Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz said his had earmarked Rs100 billion.
The Punjab government will pay the bills of more than nine million families using 100 units of electricity, he said. “About half of the population of the province will be provided free electricity from this month and the Punjab government will pay the bills in August.”
Addressing a press conference he said, “I was told not to take big decisions without the approval of cabinet to wriggle the backward class out of difficult economic conditions. It could become a NAB case but I said that I am ready to face any difficulty to give relief to the people.”
The chief minister announced that the Punjab government would pay the full bill of consumers using up to 100 units of electricity per month under the “Punjab Chief Minister Roshan Gharana Programme.” In view of the financial difficulties being faced by the destitute due to inflation, this programme is being launched and around 55.4 million families will be provided free electricity from July 1st. Under the programme, the government will pay the bills and all taxes and duties of the consumers using up to 100 units of electricity, he further said. In this regard, the consumers using 100 units of electricity in the last six months will be able to avail the facility, he added.
Within a year, he said the Punjab government would also start solar energy projects as an alternative source of energy to produce and provide solar energy to the needy people across the province. — ERMD

Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO), a subsidiary of the Department of Energy and Power KP, is working hard to generate affordable hydropower in the province. It is the largest revenue-generating agency with annual revenue of over Rs5 billion, which is currently generating 161MW of cheap electricity that will be increased to 224MW next year, it says in a press release.
In this regard, the annual revenue is expected to increase from about Rs5 billion to Rs10 billion.
New employment opportunities are being created in the province for the development of the industrial sector by generating cheap electricity through the wheeling model and selling it at cheap rates.
Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah addressed the review meeting on ongoing energy projects of PEDO. It was mentioned that after the successful transfer of the CM House and Secretariat, as well as the civil secretariat, to the solar system, additional power generation through net metering is saving millions of rupees in terms of electricity bills.
In the province 4440 mosques, 8000 schools, and 187 basic health units (BHUs) are also being shifted to the solar system while 13 solar mini-grids are being constructed to promote commercial activities in newly merged districts.
In addition to this, 302 mini micro-hydel stations have been completed in the backward areas of the province that are deprived of the blessings of electricity. About 29MW of cheap electricity is being provided to the poor people at the village level.
Koto hydropower project 40.8MW Dir Lower, Karora power project Shangla 11.8MW and 10.2MW Jabori power project Mansehra are in the final stages of completion.
On the other hand, the construction work is going on in full swing on other ongoing projects of PEDO including 84MW Matiltan power project Swat, 69MW Lawi power project Chitral, 6.9MW Brando power project Torgarh, and 10.5MW Chapri Charkhel power project Karam.
The World Bank’s financially assisted projects at district Swat, construction work on Gabral Kalam HPP of 88MW and Madyen HPP of 157MW is also being started soon.
During the meeting, Secretary Energy Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah expressed satisfaction over the progress made on the ongoing projects of PEDO and hoped that the completion of ongoing projects would prove to be a game-changer for overcoming the power crisis and stabilizing the economy.
PEDO would emerge soon as a mini WAPDA in KP owing to its fast-track progress in the power generation sector. – PR/ERMD