PUCIT to set up Technology Park

LAHORE : The Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT) will establish a Technology Park on New Campus at a cost of Rs 150 million through its own resources.

Dr Syed Mansoor Sarwar, Principal PUCIT, has submitted a proposal to Vice Chancellor Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, who has granted administrative approval for the construction of a six-storey building after relevant university bodies had accorded their approval in principle. The vice chancellor will lay the foundation stone of the building next week.

“The college had desired to build on-campus Technology Park at PUCIT in 2008 and submitted a PC-1 to the Punjab government in 2007. The then Chancellor Lt-Gen (R) Khalid Maqbool granted approval for Rs 74.36 million for the purpose and a notification was issued by the Punjab government in 2008. However, the new elected government did not release the funds,” said Dr Sarwar.

“We tried again to establish the facility in 2013 through our own funds. However, our request never came out of the university administration’s rigmarole,” he added.

Dr Sarwar said that the on-campus Technology Park would enhance PUCIT’s liaison with local tech industry, provide opportunities for joint R&D projects with industry, facilitate PUCIT students for year round on-campus internships and enhance job opportunities. It will also help the college tailor its stream of elective courses based on the needs of the local industry for solutions to indigenous as well as outsourced problems.

The facility will also house an incubation center for entrepreneurial talents of college students and teachers. PUCIT will be the first computing department in the country to establish such a facility through its own funding.