HEC declares sub-campuses of six private universities illegal

LAHORE:Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) has issued Student Alert advising them not to seek admission in sub-campuses of six private universities terming the same illegal and not approved by the Punjab government.

The PHEC has also placed this Student Alert on its website http://punjabhec.gov.pk/ according to which the students have been advised not to seek admission in Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Sialkot sub-campuses of University of Central Punjab (UCP).

The other sub-campuses of private universities/institutes include sub-campuses of National College of Business Administration & Economics (NCBA&E) at Bahawalpur, Gujrat, Rahimyar Khan and Sialkot. The sub-campuses of Superior College at Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Khanpur and Sargodha. The sub-campuses of University of Lahore include Gujrat, Islamabad and Pakpattan. The sub-campus of Qarshi University, Muridke at Lahore and Sheikhupura sub-campus of Hajvery University.

Online admission test for GIKI students:

 Virtual University of Pakistan (VUP) conducted an online admission test for students of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI).

According to a press release, a total of 3,000 students appeared for admission test in 20 designated centres in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Multan, Kohat, Wah Cantt, Swabi, Mardan, Attock and Nowshera.

Safety desks were established at all the test centres while gloves, masks and hand sanitizers were provided to every student. The admission test was conducted in a hassle-free, air conditioned environment, keeping social distancing intact. It was the very first GIKI admission test which was conducted online at the platform of Virtual University of Pakistan. Virtual University Rector applauded the role of Controller Examination, Dr Faisal Tehseen Shah and his team for such a

dedication.

PU: The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has published technology, developed by a female scientist of Punjab University, which is aimed at converting agricultural waste into chemicals important for industries.

According to a press release, the technology entitled “Extraction of Lignin from Lignocellulosic Waste Material using Pyridinium Ionic Liquids” is developed by Punjab University Institute of Chemistry’s Assistant Professor Dr Maliha Uroos as a lead scientist with her co-inventors, include her PhD student Azmat Mehmood and collaborator Dr Nawshad Muhammad. Dr Maliha Uroos is the first female scientist at Punjab University to publish a US patent application as a lead scientist. She has been awarded the grant of US $ 8000 by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, to file her patent. In a statement, Dr Uroos said Pakistan being an agricultural country produced a massive amount of waste each year, including wheat straw, rice husk, bagasse, which were mainly burnt that led to creating environmental problems in the form of smog.