Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, at the 13th Convocation of Dawood University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), urged students to embrace innovation, integrity, and service as they step into a rapidly changing world shaped by clean energy transitions, smart technologies, and new engineering advancements.
He delivered his address at DUET’s 13th Convocation, held at the PAF Auditorium, where degrees were conferred on 413 graduates from the Class of 2025.
Murad Ali Shah praised the significant academic and infrastructural progress at Dawood University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), calling it a “renaissance of a proud engineering institution” and a model of transparent, innovative university governance.
During the ceremony, the Chief Minister also conferred an Honorary Doctorate upon Sindh Minister for Local Government and DUET graduate Dr Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, recognising his contributions to public service and his long-standing connection to the university.
The event was attended by Minister for Local Government Dr Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Minister U&B Ismail Rahu, Chairman HEC Prof Tariq Rafi, senior government officials, diplomats, faculty members, parents, and graduating students.
In his address, Murad Ali Shah congratulated the graduates and praised DUET’s turnaround since February 2023, describing it as a testament to committed leadership and institutional discipline. He said DUET had evolved from a resource-constrained and deficit-running institution into a financially sustainable university investing confidently in its own future.
Mr Shah noted that despite limited space and longstanding financial challenges, DUET had channelled Rs 750 million from its own resources to upgrade important facilities. These include a fully renovated state-of-the-art auditorium, a new sports ground with a pavilion, upgraded hostels, specialised laboratories in Material Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Energy & Environment, and expanded facilities for the Faculty of Information & Computing Sciences in Gulberg, equipped with advanced AVR labs.
“These improvements reflect an institution that has embraced transparency, financial discipline, and out-of-the-box strategies to create opportunities for its students,” he said.
The Chief Minister highlighted DUET’s rapid academic progress, including improvements in the QS Asia rankings, a jump in its Youth Development Programme score from 53 per cent to 84.13 per cent, and progress in Times Higher Education’s SDG indicators.
Murad Shah commended Vice Chancellor Engr Prof Dr Samreen Hussain, the first female engineering vice chancellor in Pakistan’s history for major institutional reforms.
The CM also acknowledged DUET’s new Research Project Development Unit at NASTP Silicon Valley, its industry placement initiatives boasting 80 per cent employability, and its micro-degree and entrepreneurial programmes creating pathways for graduates to secure jobs even before completing their degrees.
Of the 620 candidates, 413 students graduated this year, with 66 per cent already employed – a figure that the Chief Minister said was “proof of DUET’s growing linkages with industry and its commitment to market-driven education.”
Addressing the graduating class, the Chief Minister urged students to pursue innovation, integrity, and service as they enter a fast-changing world driven by clean energy transitions, smart technologies, and new engineering frontiers. “Stay curious, adapt boldly, and uplift society wherever you go,” he advised.
Mr Shah also acknowledged the unwavering support of parents and the dedication of the university’s faculty and staff in shaping the students’ academic journey.
The convocation began in the morning with the academic procession, followed by Quran recitation, the national anthem, and the formal opening of the convocation by the Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor presented the annual report, after which the honorary doctorate, PhD degrees, master’s and bachelor’s degrees, and gold and silver medals were conferred. Speeches by Minister Nasir Shah and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah concluded the ceremony, after which the Chancellor declared the convocation closed.
The Chief Minister later presented mementoes to the distinguished guests.