KHAIRPUR: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday equipped the Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) with the most advanced WiFi technology as part of its three-year ‘Smart University Project’, launched in 2015, to transform 100 public sector universities in Pakistan into ‘smart’ universities. In this regard, the Islamabad HEC Executive Director Prof Dr Arshad Ali visit SALU and inaugurated the project while the SALU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Parveen Shah, the Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Yousaf Khushk, the registrar and other officials were also present on the occasion. The project enables users to freely access internet in all open and indoor areas with the minimum signal strength of 60 percent, achievable data rate of 10Mbps and backed by uninterruptible power supply (UPSs) to constantly provide service for 24 hours a day. Meanwhile, Prof Dr Arshad Ali appreciated Prof Dr Parveen Shah, Prof Dr Khushk, Information Technology (IT) manager Syed Muneer Shah Rashdi and other officials for their joint efforts to uplift quality education in the region. Later, he also visited Faculty of Education and Center of Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) of the university, and examined the facilities there. While offering support to the university, he said that the HEC has been promoting quality education in Pakistan, and taking effective measures accordingly. “The HEC will consider every research and innovation project in the country to offer an appropriate funding for its support,” he said, adding that socio-economic factors must be given priority ahead of applying for funding for a research programme as ‘cooperation between universities and HEC is the need of the hour’ to counter economic challenges being faced by the country. The HEC Executive Director appreciated SALU for supporting research projects during his visit to CBC, and urged the members of department to achieve efficient results in the research programmes of plant sciences. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2018.