KARACHI: Administration of Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) has decided to keep its university campus in the historical building and to relocate the original and around one-and-quarter century old school, where father of the nation, Quad e Azam got his early education, to Malir, around 25 KMs away from city centre in the suburbs of the city. While briefing the selected journalists about SMIU’s Admission Policy at a local restaurant over food, Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) claimed that the federal government has approved project of SMIU’s new campus that will be built in the Education City of Karachi. Instead of moving the university campus, the historical school will be moved. “For that development project the government has approved more than one billion rupees. Out of the said amount, Rs150 million will be given to SMIU during the ensuing fiscal year,” he claimed. Dr Shaikh said that SMIU is going to open SMIU Model School’s branch in the Education City, within premises of SMIU’s Malir Campus, from August 2017. However, Dr Shaikh justified the proposed move, saying “SMIU wants to provide quality and modern education to poor children of rural settlements of Malir, Karachi, because this institute was basically established for poor children of Sindh in 1885 and even today, the new generation needs same quality and modern education. However, the newly established university campus will remain in the historical building and while working there, the administration wants to collaborate and sign MoUs with national and international universities and educational organizations of China, UK, Turkey and Malaysia. “ “Under these agreements, SMIU’s 21 students have completed their internship programs in China,” claimed Dr Shaikh. Talking about the enrollment of students at SMIU, he further claimed that the enrollment is increasing every year. Last year 1997 students had applied for admission and only 650 students succeeded to get admission through a transparent admission process. “We want to provide quality education with national and international exposure to our students, which lacks in most public sector universities of the country,” Dr Shaikh said. He also informed the audience that about 25 percent of total strength of SMIU’s students acquire scholarships. It is pertinent to mention here that it has been defined in the SMIU Act 2011 under the section 47(i) and (ii) that any of the department or section will be not closed because of its historical background. The building of the SMIU is also protected site under the Sindh Heritage Act and the status of the building could not be changed.