The department of social work and centre of excellence for women's studies: promoting culture-based values of seeking and sharing knowledge

Established in 1951 the University of Karachi can rightfully claim to be the leading institution in promoting a culture based upon values of seeking and sharing knowledge. One can find a graduate of this alma mater even in the hard to reach areas of the country; they are also thriving in countries outside Pakistan.
Today in its number of teaching departments, enrolment of regular students at its campus, dedicated teaching faculty, and facilities for higher academic research, this Campus has earned a place of national and international recognition. Its graduates not only have earned academic degrees that qualify them for professional jobs but they have been instrumental in making this world a better place for others. This Directory of Alumni of the two departments of Karachi University, ie the Department of Social Work and of the Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies amply supports this.
The Department of Social Work was established in 1961, a year after the University shifted from its original location, housed in a small building near the Civil Hospital to its present campus sprawled over 1279 acres. Professor Aslam Shah, its founding Chairperson, was instrumental in placing the Department on a solid foundation. Professor Dr Najma Farman is its current Chairperson. During these five decades, from 1961 to 2011, the Department of Social Work has grown like a banyan tree, its roots going down deep, and its umbrella-like top spreading horizontally. To-day our students, men and women both, are gainfully engaged, in a variety of ways, in transforming what they learned at the Department into action, both locally and globally. Some, following the footsteps of their teachers, are now imparting knowledge to others, while some are involved with developmental projects in a variety of ways.
Occasionally whenever a former student drops by or we have a chance meeting with one of them, we hear stories about them and their friends. These stories intrigued me. I wondered how best we could bring together these alumni of the Department whom we encouraged and guided to act as agents of social change and development. How could we regenerate their energies, their enthusiasm, and their passion for Social Work so that once again, they emerge as determined and focused individuals or groups to act as harbingers of change? I have met these former students, among these are some whom I had the privilege to teach and learn from; some are my contemporaries and my class-mates; while some happen to be both my mentors at the Department and are now my colleagues in teaching.
These meetings, though short and quick, proved exceedingly valuable. Not only I had the opportunity of meeting with them and collecting information about the task in hand, ie the Alumni Directory but these conversations became the genesis of another project. I explained to them that the Directory's one basic and simple reason is to provide information for making and renewing contacts with each other. As most of our alumni sounded happy at the idea of this opportunity of rediscovering their friends and contemporaries, I placed before them another proposal. This proposal is about creating a network on a more permanent basis offering us an opportunity of seeing each other, face-to-face and conversing with each other. To my surprise, there was an instant approval of this idea. We have now agreed to establish a permanent body of alumni of Department of Social Work under the name of 'Association of Social Work Professionals'. We also propose to create a website for this Association. Similarly, the Women's Studies students would form a group 'Network of Karachi University Women's Studies Students'. We have now moved ahead and submitted documents for the registration of these two bodies.
The Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies at the University of Karachi is the leading Centre in the field of teaching and research in Women's Studies in Pakistan. The founding director of the Centre, Professor Dr Tahera Aftab (retired in 2000) worked diligently. It was under her commendable leadership that this Centre, despite heavy odds, has developed the capacity for survival and growth. Established as a project in 1989 by the Ministry of Women Development, Government of Pakistan, it is now a full-fledged teaching-research Centre offering B.S., M.A., MS and Ph.D. programmes. Enrolment at the Centre is not limited to women only; men are not only not barred but they are encouraged to come and to study here. Thus in the recent years there has been an increase in male enrolment.
It is indeed very encouraging to see that a good number of our Women's Studies graduates have found employment. Most of them work in places where they have an opportunity to use their potential and their training in Women's Studies. Though the number of Women's Studies' graduates, compared to that of the graduates of Social Work is far less, however we encountered similar hurdles in making successful contacts and collecting data. We hope that the publication of this Directory would also serve as an incentive and more students would come forward to form a coterie. Compilation of alumni directories is not a one-time job; it needs periodical updating. We plan to do this in the near future.
I take this opportunity to announce that soon we would have our inaugural meetings for the two bodies of alumni of Social Work and of Women's Studies. The founder members of these two bodies are preparing for this occasion.
To His Excellency Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan, Governor Sindh, Mohtarma Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Minister Women Development and Mohtarma Nargis N.D. Khan, Minister Social Welfare Department, I owe special thanks for their keen interest in the promotion of scholarship and for extending valuable support for our activities.
Without the support and patronage of Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi and Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dean Faculty of Arts this Directory would not have been possible. I acknowledge their support and offer my sincere thanks to them. I also thank Professor Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, Vice Chancellor, University of Gujrat.
I am grateful to all the alumni of Social Work and Women's Studies who, despite their preoccupations with their jobs and responsibilities found time to respond to our phone calls and filled the forms for us. This Directory would not have been completed without your support and cooperation. I thank all of you.
The Department of Social Work developed and grew under the care and supervision of Professor Aslam Shah. When I thank him I am indeed expressing the voice of all alumni of the Department of Social Work. I also acknowledge with thanks the kind support given by Dr Najma Farman, Chairperson Department of Social Work. Several persons have helped me in preparing this Directory.
The list is long. I must acknowledge the untiring help given by Mr Muhammad Aslam Ismail at all stages of the preparation of this Directory. I also acknowledge the sincere help given by Aamir Waheed Khawaja, Asma Manzoor and Shagufta Nasreen, Khurram Meraj Khan and Muhammad Fareed Khan have worked hard on this project, I thank both of them. I also thank Mr Younus Khan, Director and Mr Syed Khalid Jami, Deputy Director BCC&T of University of Karachi. Last but not in the least, I consider it my privilege to thank Dr Tahera Aftab, Founding Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies. I am grateful to her for her interest in the growth and development of the Centre.