Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Friday to set up Pak-China University (PCU) of Engineering Science and Technology (S&T) with an estimated cost of Rs 30 billion.
The MoU was signed by Dr Jiang Feng on behalf of the Ministry of Education, China and Dr S. Sohail H. Naqvi, Executive Director of Higher Education Commission on behalf of the Pakistani government.
Talking to Business Recorder after the signing ceremony, an HEC official said the delegation had visited Lahore to select site for the university. We want to start temporary classes in Pak-China University by September or October next year, he added.
To a question about land, he said they would need four million square-feet land either in Lahore or Islamabad. The land of old Lahore airport building has been given to the HEC to start temporary classes by next year and the number of faculties would be increased with the gradual construction of university.
He said that China would extend all out assistance to Pakistan in developing master plan, design, planning about faculty of the university as most of the faculty members would come from China and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunication (BUPT), a leading university of China, and would award degrees to the students.
An eight-member delegation led by Jiang Feng, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Ministry of Education held intensive discussion during last two days with Pakistani officials and decided to establish a joint working group to finalise modalities regarding project implementation.
The joint working group is jointly headed by Dr Lin Jintong, President Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications and Dr K.R. Shad. The delegation is visiting Pakistan as a follow up to the memorandum of understanding signed with the Chinese government on April 17, 2007 for the establishment of an engineering university in Pakistan.
During the discussion, Pakistan delegation was led by Dr Atta-ur- Rahman, Federal Minister and Chairman Higher Education Commission while the Chinese delegation was led by Dr Jiang Feng. The two sides agreed that the early establishment of the project was a high priority. The working group agreed on a roadmap and a detailed work programme, which would be closely monitored during implementation. The two sides would meet periodically to review progress on implementation as per time lines agreed.
It has been agreed that the working group would have its offices in Beijing and Islamabad and documents prepared by them would be submitted to the Ministry of Education China and HEC in Pakistan for approval.
The joint working group has been given task to finalise list of core discipline to be offered in the PCU, define the interaction model for award of dual degrees and financial obligation, prepare a bilateral agreement to be signed by both the countries and finalise the list of initial members of the Chinese consortium of universities.
The planning papers will lead to a PC-1 by September 30, 2007 for initial cost whereas the total cost of the project would be covered in another PC-1 to be submitted to the Planning Commission on November 30 that would cover 8-year of the project.
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