Day: June 8, 2022

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Sindh University chalks out 3-month strategy to bring varsity back to its routine academic calendar

Jamshoro, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):An important meeting of PVCs, focal persons, deans of different faculties, directors and chairpersons was held under the chair of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Sindh Professor (Meritorious) Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro in the Senate Hall of Vice-Chancellor’s Secretariat here on Tuesday.

The house unanimously chalked out a short plan of 3-months to complete all the pending work of teaching and taking examinations at all levels in a bid to bring the varsity back to its routine academic calendar which was slightly disturbed on account of proliferation of COVID-19. After reviewing the situation of first semester examinations of various disciplines, the house made all the faculty members bound to submit the results of Bachelor and Master semester examinations to the Controller’s Office by July 15, 2022.

It also decided to conduct the examinations of coursework of M.Phil and Ph.D in various 44 disciplines from August 16 tentatively after the summer vacations are over. The meeting allowed those departments to take the exams of M.Phil and PhD that have already issued the schedule in this regard.

The house resolved that the semester examinations of bachelor degree programs of evening shift would also be held in August after the summer break. It was stated in the meeting that the summer vacation would be held from June 13 to August 12, 2022, during which the directors and chairpersons besides the deans would be present in their respective departments on Monday and Tuesday every week.

Talking on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor Professor (Meritorious) Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro said that students of different disciplines could stay in the dormitories till the examinations were completed. He said that the University of Sindh was currently offering admissions to 44 M.Phil and Ph.D programs but he said the enrollment would soon be announced to many other departments after receiving the required NoC from the higher education commission (HEC) Islamabad.

For more information, contact:

Director

Centre for Pure and Applied Geology

University of Sindh

University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan

Tel: +92-22-9213167

Cell: +92-300-9375193

E-mail: shsolangi@usindh.edu.pk

Website: www.usindh.edu.pk

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Speakers call for innovative solution to address complex environmental challenges

Lahore, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):‘Pakistan is seriously impacted by heat waves, fluctuating temperatures, urban flooding and biodiversity loss coupled with pollution and freshwater scarcity challenges. We need to adopt sustainable ways of living and take transformative actions to protect and conserve the earth’s fast depleting resources’. This was stated by speakers during a run and clean-up event organized by WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore at Jallo on Sunday.

The event was organized as part of the global ‘World River Run’ campaign, which aims to advance the global conversation about the world’s water crisis. Speakers shared that freshwater management and conservation is a serious issue in Pakistan, for which joint action should be taken by relevant government departments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and local communities. They also warned that climate change and unsustainable infrastructure development are aggravating freshwater availability in country. The event was attended by more than 100 participants from different walks of life who took part in the run, dedicating it to the Indus River, and participated in cleaning activities at the park.

Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Lahore, Captain (R) Muhammad Usman, said that “Close to 600 tube wells supply water to Lahore, and every hour, approximately 40 million gallons of water is consumed. This data does not match our per capita consumption, which means a lot of this water is wasted. We are cognizant of these issues and urge the public to make smarter choices and conserve this precious resource.”

Dr Umar Jahangir, Director General, PHA Lahore stated “We are very delighted to hold this awareness event in partnership with WWF-Pakistan. The Indus holds a lot of importance for Pakistan and we hope to continue being a voice for it. I am also in talks with WWF regarding plantation drives.” He also urged people to make lifestyle choices that would help conserve water.

Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan said that the Indus River is Pakistan’s lifeline. It supports close to 300 million people and provides the water Pakistan needs to thrive – including water for agriculture, energy production, industrial use, and human consumption. It also supports diverse aquatic ecosystems. However, impacts of climate change, rising temperatures, changes in weather patterns, reduced flows, habitat destruction, and pollution are all severely degrading the health of this crucial river system. He added that robust water conservation strategies and nature-based solutions were necessary to ensure the free flow of rivers and to protect precious water bodies.

Amal for Life, a grassroots civil society organization contributing to the sustainable development of Pakistan, also participated by facilitating clean-up activities during and after the event. WWF-Pakistan strives to secure water for people and nature in priority river basins. We call for transformation in the way water is managed across these critical river basins, including the Indus Basin.

In order to do so, we actively promote water stewardship and responsible water infrastructure while protecting freshwater habitats. Together with our partners, we are reducing water footprints, safeguarding hydrological regimes, and securing freshwater-dependent flora and fauna.

For more information, contact:

Head Office,

WWF – Pakistan

P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan

UAN: +92-42-111-993-725

Tel: +92-42-35855145-50

Fax: +92-42-35862358

E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk

Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

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Root advances to second place in MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings

Dubai, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The England batter has overtaken New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Australia’s Steve Smith on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for batters.

England batter Joe Root has overtaken Kane Williamson and Steve Smith to move within 10 rating points of top-ranked Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne in the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.

Root, who had lost the top spot to Labuschagne in December 2021 during the Ashes series, has gained 39 points after guiding England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship series at Lord’s.

Root’s 115 not out in the second innings, his 26th Test century, has taken him from 843 to 882 rating points. Smith is third with 845 points while Williamson has slipped behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam to fifth.

England captain Ben Stokes’s second innings half-century has lifted him two places to 27th. New Zealand’s Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell have also made important gains in Wednesday’s update. Blundell has progressed 15 places to 35th after scores of 14 and 96 and Mitchell 25 places to 50th with innings of 13 and 108.

In the Test rankings for bowlers, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is back at his career-best third position after finishing with six wickets in the match. England seam bowler James Anderson, who also took six wickets, has moved up two places to seventh while his compatriot Matthew Potts has entered the rankings in 77th position after an impressive seven-wicket match haul on debut.

Afghanistan players have made notable gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after taking a 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series.

Rahmat Shah has moved up two places to 29th position after aggregating 181 runs in the two matches while spin bowler Mohammad Nabi is up eight places to 11th with six wickets. Hashmatullah Shahidi (up eight places to 50th) among batters and Rashid Khan (up one place to third among all-rounders) have also moved up the tables. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is up six places to joint-42nd among batters.

The ODI update, which also takes into account the last two matches of the Netherlands versus West Indies series and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 matches played in Pearland (USA) over the past week, Windies spinner Akeal Hosein has moved up 14 places to 37th among bowlers. The United Arab Emirates pair of Vriitya Anand (up 29 places to 77th) and Chirag Suri (up 25 places to 87th), and Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd (up 33 places to 81st) have advanced in the batters’ list.

The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, see Australia captain Aaron Finch enter the top five and his opening partner David Warner move up eight places to 45th after guiding their team to a 10-wicket win with a 134-run stand in the first match of a three-T20I series against Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was named Player of the Match for his haul of four for 16, has moved up one place to second position.

For Sri Lanka, opener Prathum Nissanka (up two places to seventh) and Charith Asalanka (up 14 places to 29th) have moved up the rankings for batters while Maheesh Theekshana is up three places to 21st among bowlers.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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One-third (32%) Pakistanis are in favour of accepting aid or grant money from Russia: Gallup and Gilani Pakistan

Islamabad, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, One-third (32%) Pakistanis are in favour of accepting aid or grant money from Russia.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across Pakistan was asked the following question, “If Russia offers economic aid to Pakistan, in your opinion, Pakistan should” In response to this question, 32% said to accept it, 41% said decline it, 26% said don’t know and 1% gave no response.

Question: “If Russia offers economic aid to Pakistan, in your opinion, Pakistan should?”

For more information, contact:

Head Office,

Gallup Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-8445080

Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk

Website: www.gallup.com.pk

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2-Days national workshop on ‘Radiographic Imaging Techniques in Small Animals’ concludes at UVAS

Lahore, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Pet Centre of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore arranged a two-day national workshop on ‘Radiography Imaging Techniques in Small Animals’ here at City Campus.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad chaired the concluding ceremony and distributed certificates among the participants and resource persons of the workshop while Chairman Department of Parasitology Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Renowned Vet Clinician from Canada/UVAS Alumni Dr Shahid Naseer, Incharge Pet Centre Prof Dr Asim Khalid, Dr Uzma Farid Durrani, Dr Hammad Rasheed, Dr Zia Ullah Mughal and a number of participants from different institutions and representative of pharmaceutical industry were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad highlighted the importance of x-ray for diagnosis of pet animal disease. He advised participants of training to work hard with full of dedication and provide best veterinary services to pet owners. Dr Shahid Naseer spoke about the importance and techniques of X-ray while Prof Dr Asim Khalid spoke about the objectives of the workshop.

The aims of the workshop were to train the participants/pet practitioners with the latest practical knowledge and techniques of radiographic and imparting hands-on experience to professionals. Various aspects related to basics of radiology and its clinical importance, abdominal, thoracic / urogenital / contrast / skeletal radiography and clinical interpretation, advanced diagnostic imaging techniques in veterinary clinical practice and hands-on training on the use of digital x ray unit and radiographic were discussed during two-day workshop.

For more information, contact:

Public Relations Officer

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS)

Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani (Out Fall) Road,

Lahore – Pakistan

Tel: +92-42-99211374, +92-42-99211449

Email: webmaster@uvas.edu.pk

Website: www.uvas.edu.pk

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Teaching license: Elevating the status of teachers in Pakistan

Karachi, June 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):‘The state of a country’s education system is directly reflective of its quality of teaching’ – a thought echoed by all speakers at the ceremony presenting a whitepaper on the need for introducing teaching licenses in Pakistan.

“We need teaching licenses, not only in name but to actually increase professionalism in our teachers, thereby elevating their status! Licensed teachers will become a ray of hope for improving student learning outcomes for our generations to come,” said Dr Sajid Ali, Amir Sultan Chinoy Associate Professor at AKU-IED, who along with Afaq Ahmed, is primarily responsible for the development of the whitepaper.

Organised by the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), in collaboration with Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA) and Durbeen, the whitepaper was unveiled in the presence of Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Ali Shah at the AKU auditorium in Karachi. Stakeholders from academia including many teachers, and public and private sector representatives attended the event.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah said: “I am convinced that teaching licenses can help us improve the quality of education. Teaching should have a license just as other professions like medicine, law, nursing, and engineering do. This will also improve the status of teachers.”

Co-founder Durbeen, founder Zindagi Trust, and panellist, Mr Shehzad Roy, said: “We are aiming for structured reforms, because teaching is a science. We want teaching to be treated with the same respect as any other profession. Just as you would not want a mediocre doctor treating a loved one, you cannot possibly hold a mediocre teacher responsible for your child’s brain development. It just cannot be done.”

Other esteemed panellists included Director of Training and Assessment, Sindh Education Foundation, Government of Sindh (GoS), Ms Shahpara Rizvi; and Chairman National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, Dr Muhammad Memon. They discussed how teaching licenses can help improve preparation, recruitment and retention of quality teachers.

In his concluding remarks, AKU-IED Dean, Professor Farid Panjwani highlighted the role of teaching licenses in determining what constitutes good teaching practice that results in the best learning experience for our students.

AKU-IED, over the past three decades, has been preparing professionals for leadership roles in education. Informing education policies and practices and improving schools in under-served and hard-to-access areas. It aims at making valuable and relevant contributions to improving the quality of education in Pakistan.

GoS’ STEDA was established to oversee and regulate teacher education activities and to maintain the standards of the training and training providers. Working hand in hand with the Sindh government, Durbeen is a non-profit organisation working to improve public schools in Pakistan through developing par-excellence teachers for public schools. This whitepaper, AKU-IED, STEDA and Durbeen hope, will bring Pakistan one step closer to elevating the status of teachers through countrywide licensing.

For more information, contact:

Media Executive

Department of Public Affairs

Aga Khan University (AKU)

Stadium Road, Karachi

Tel: +92-21-34930051

Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095

Cell: +92-301-8258028

Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu​

Website: www.aku.edu