25 PhDs to be sent for two-year training in Austria

PESHAWAR: After the start of formal construction of the “Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Science and Technology” in Haripur district, the government has decided to send 25 PhD faculty members for two-year specialised training in Austria in March this year.

The faculty members would get the training in software, clinical engineering, multi-media laboratory technology, energy and mechatronics engineering, while in the second round some 175 teaching staff would be sent for PhD in Austria, said Nasser Ali Khan, project director of the institute, while talking to The News.

He said that after the inauguration of the project by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, construction was formally started. Site office has been set up in Mang area of Haripur district where the institute is being set up at an estimated cost of Rs8.2 billion, which the provincial government has already approved.

He said the selection of the faculty members for the specialised training would be made by experts from Austria. The curriculum for the institute would also be prepared by Austrian expert, who would not only be responsible for the examination system, but they would also come to the institute for teachings. Degrees would also be issued from Austria, he said.

He said the project would be completed within 14 months and admissions would be started in October 2017. He said this would be the first institute in the country where all the faculty members would be PhD degree holders.

Dr Nasser Ali was of the opinion that there was a big gap between an engineer and a mechanic in the country. This institute would produce highly technical graduates to fill this huge gap, he added.

He said the institute has both short-term and long-term objectives. Both under graduate (four-year) and post-graduate (two-year) degree programmes would be offered in digital multimedia technologies, software engineering, energy-environment-engineering, and mechatronics.

Dr Nasser Ali said that besides education, technical training would also be offered in the institute, which would produce manpower for the Hatar industrial estate being developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said they are also planning to set up a railway school in the institute where training would be imparted on railway communication, signal and railway engineering. The proposed railway school is aimed at producing graduates for the railway track being set up under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.