KARACHI- Karachi University is setting up an information technology institute in collaboration with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The KU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr Zafar Saeed Saifi, in an interview said that land had been acquired for the Rs 45 million projects, which would be imitated after approval from the varsity’s syndicate.

He said that the academy would be named after Umaer Basha, the 19 year-old MIT students who died in a road accident in the United States

The Umaer Basha Foundation has provided a sum of Rs 10 million for the project and the remaining sum would be raised by the KU.

Prof Saifi said that if needed help from the Ministry y of Science and Technology would also be sought.

He also acknowledged assistance being provided by the federal minister for science and technology, Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, who assured his full cooperation for the purpose.

The Umaer Basha Institute of Information Technology would be ready towards the end of next year.

The KU VC pointed out that work on the A.Q. Khan Institute of Genetics Engineering and Biotechnology at the campus was almost complete.

Including the instruments the total cost of the project would be to the tune of Rs1.2 billion.

Upon completion, the institute would take up agricultural research and tackle problems pertaining to viruses and other diseases.

It would also help develop virus-resistant varieties and would undertake gene-mapping and anti-viral drugs.

The university students of biological sciences and those of pharmaceutical sciences and biotechnology would benefit from this institute, he said.

Source: Dawn
Date:9/3/2001