Daily Times

The state-run University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) Monday reopened after 18 months closure due to the corona pandemic.

The university along with other educational institutions was closed in March 2020 due to the growing coronavirus cases and imposition of lockdown in AJK. When the lockdown was prolonged, the university adopted virtual and technology-based alternative means to save the precious time and the academic year of students.

The decision to reopen the university for on-campus classes was taken on Friday at the meeting of the heads of different departments chaired by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi at King Abdullah Campus of the university.

The meeting discussed in detail the arrangements for the resumption of physical classes and other necessary matters including corona standard operating procedures to be adopted after the reopening of the institution. Some important administrative decisions to address the problems and issues at the newly constructed Kind Abdullah Campus of the university were also taken in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting the vice chancellor said the King Abdullah Campus equipped the educational facilities of international standard was a gift from the Saudi government and the Higher Education Commission to the people of Azad Kashmir, which would not only bring about an educational revolution in AJK but would also change the economic destiny of the people of the region.

He said the reopening of the university after a long interval poses a big challenge for the management and faculty members of the university to redouble their efforts to make up the educational loss caused during the past one and half years due to coronavirus.

He urged the heads of the departments and deans of various faculties to hold meetings with the teachers of their respective departments, review the problems and find solutions. “The state-of-the-art- King Abdullah Campus of the university should be used to improve the quality of education and promotion of research activities”, he asserted.

Kaleem Abbasi said we were trying to address other issues on a priority basis including the provision of electricity in the new campus, necessary equipment in laboratories, and a conducive environment for research work.

The vice chancellor also urged the deans of the university and the heads of departments to focus on launching new programmes within the existing departments so that maximum educational opportunities were available to the students in fewer resources. He said where teachers introduced new sciences and technologies to the students, they should also focus on adhering to their moral values and character and personality building as education was nothing without strong moral values.