AIOU sets up graduate studies coordination office

Islamabad

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) set up a full-fledged coordination office of Graduates Studies to streamline the admission, examination and mailing process of higher-level academic programmes, including MA, MSc, M. Phil and PhD.

The AIOU’s Executive Council has approved the proposal at its meeting held last week, said Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. This is a major step forward towards timely and efficient handling of the post-graduate level degree programmes. It will improve coordination of different graduate programmes’ activities.

A website will be launched soon containing all the required information regarding postgraduate studies. Prof. Dr. Naghmana Rashid, Dean Sciences was appointed as head of this office. There will be some permanent staff to exclusively handle matters relating to post-graduates studies.

Dr. Shahid Sididqui said the office will monitor timeline for major activities of graduate programmes in consultation with the relevant departments. It has been assigned the task of ensuring timely completion of admissions, declaration of results and mailing of books, he added.

This separate office will also be a source of strength for upgrading the quality of higher studies and improving university’s academic ranking as well as promoting research-based activities, he added.

Dr. Naghmana Rashid said the office had been made functional forthwith as per direction of the vice chancellor. Its initial work proved very effectively in timely declaration of outgoing semester’s results.

This enabled the students to take admission in the next academic programs. Mostly results of post-graduate levels were being announced before the last date of admission (Spring-2016) which is March 21.