Ambassador of Sultanate of Oman to Pakistan, Salim Mohammad Ali Wahaibi on Tuesday handed over a cheque worth Rs 231.41 million, as a grant to Pakistan for setting up Sultan Qaboos IT chairs in two leading engineering universities of the country.
According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, the ceremony was held at the office of the ministry of Information Technology where Oman's ambassador to Pakistan, Salim Mohammad Ali Wahaibi presented a cheque worth Rs 115.707 each to Vice-chancellors of University of Engineering & Technology Lahore and NED University of Engineering & Technology Karachi.
Federal Minister for Information Technology, Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and senior officials of the ministry were also present on the occasion.
The amount was extended to the ministry of Information Technology as a donation by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said-Al-Said of Oman for establishment of an endowment fund leading up to the setting up of Sultan Qaboos IT chairs respectively in the University of Engineering & Technology Lahore and NED University of Engineering & Technology Karachi.
Lieutenant General Mohammad Akram Khan (Retd), Vice-chancellor of UET Lahore and Abul Kalam, Vice-chancellor of Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw (NED) University of Engineering & Technology Karachi received cheques on behalf of their universities.
The donation was extended by Sultan Qaboos during his visit to Pakistan in April 2001 when he announced 3.6 million dollars grant for establishment of the endowment fund for setting up IT chairs to promote Information Technology.
The two chairs would enable the universities to attract two professors, one at each campus, of international repute at competitive pay packages to carry out research in their campuses.
The professors having extensive experience in world class institutions would also help in treating an environment conducive to research and excellence.
They would also be engaging local research assistants for direct exposure to the methodologies of advanced research and PhD degrees.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari thanked Sultan Qaboos Bin Said-Al-Said on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan for his generous donation.
Earlier, Oman's ambassador, Salim M. Ali Wahaibi said that his country valued its friendship with Pakistan and the co-operation between the two brotherly countries would grow further in future.
"We believe Pakistan has the potential to excel in IT and other science and engineering disciplines and we hope the help extended by His Majesty would go a long way in achieving this goal," he added.