HYDERABAD: The Federal Minister for Education, Health Services and Religious Affairs Muhammad Yousif Shaikh on Sunday held a consultative meeting with Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, the vice-chancellor of the Sindh University (SU), a public research university in Jamshoro in Sindh. Reportedly, matters pertaining to academic, research and development came under discussion. The Federal Minister recalled his pleasant memories in SU as its proud alumnus, exhibited keen interest to uplift his alma mater, and pledged to support it. “SU has always been my first priority to serve,” Shaikh said, adding that he was delighted to observe that SU has steadily evolved into an excellent institution of higher education in Pakistan, with a potential to become one of the finest universities in South Asia. “I am pleased and satisfied to see the administrative responsibilities of SU in the hands of an honest, dedicated, experienced and qualified person Dr Burfat. I have known him as a teacher and an expert to develop international linkage of SU with many universities in the world. I admire his extraordinary academic and management credentials,” he said while stressing on the need to organise an alumni association of the university, given the fact that many SU alumni has been holding influential, political and key academic positions in Pakistan and abroad, who could play a pivotal role in the progress of their mother institution. “In the modern age, such an interactive interface between alumni can lead to a plethora of progressive plans for the future,” Shaikh urged. Meanwhile, Dr Burfat appreciated his proposal and assured him for the formation of alumni association. Later, he briefed Shaikh over the development projects recently undertaken by the university, including an establishment of Information Technology Service Center (ITSC), construction of two 100-room hostels, each for male and female students, 25-room hostel for female teachers, botanical garden, new buildings for Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) and the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialism (ORIC), International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) certification. He informed him that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had granted Rs 1,600 million to SU for these development projects. Dr Burfat expressed his gratitude to the Federal Minister for his courteous gesture of visit and offering his support to the university. Published in Daily Times, August 6th 2018.