Lead by senior officials of the Ministry of Education, the launch was attended by the Ministries of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education, members of the academia, representatives of the Non-Governmental Organisations, representatives of donor organisations and specialised agencies of the United Nations.

The bibliography was published as part of the Gender in Education Policy Support Programme, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The programme is to strengthen policy planning and implementation through strategic interventions at the national level.

Presentations were given on the communication strategies that worked for gender projects and CEDAW by UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNICEF and White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Education, Mr. Imtiaz Kazi, stressed that the management, data collection and dissemination were essential elements for informed policy making and evaluation function.

“Such evidence based publications assist the policy makers in making informed decisions by putting the best available evidence at the centre of policy process to mainstream gender into policies and processes,” he said.

He further added that the Annotated bibliography prepared by the Ministry of Education under the Gender in Education Policy Support Project provides a detailed list of research conducted on Gender in Education in Pakistan and is a collection of 125 studies on existing research. “Such publications can be quite useful for research and as reference in future,” he concluded.

The launch concluded with the commitment from the government and various agencies to work for the empowerment of women in Pakistan to ensure equal opportunities and build indigenous capacity in knowledge management and effective mainstreaming in education policy and processes to benefit the education system in Pakistan at all levels.

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For further information, please contact:

UNICEF Pakistan Education Specialist on 051 209 7791 or mmehreen@unicef.org

Habib-Ur-Rehman
Urdu Press Officer

Press & Public Affairs Section
British High Commission, Islamabad
051-2012828
0302-8566534

For further information about the British High Commission and Britain is available at www.ukinpakistan.fco.gov.uk and about DFID at www.dfid.gov.uk

About CONFED: CONFED is a foreign education consultancy. It deals with universities from the UK, USA, Canada, and Malaysia. CONFED has its Head Office in Peshawar and regional offices in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. CONFED provides visa filing assistance to students, as well as IELTS preparation and registration, career guidance, and information on latest scholarships.
For More Information, please contact: Naeem Afzal at 051-2111582

The Envoy made these commitments in a meeting with Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi who called on him here Wednesday. They discussed the causes of the current wave of terrorism and debated on the ways and means to facilitate Pakistan to handle the situation in the troubled areas of Pakistan.

The Minister informed the UN envoy about the causes of the prevailing state of affairs, adding that poverty and economic situation are the prime reasons to compel the poor parents to send their children to the religious madrasas for getting free education where students are taught only traditional education and children are deprived of technical and modern skilled education. He viewed that UN should extend its assistance for establishment of vocational training centers in Pakistan to provide skilled education to the children of poor families free of cost, which would help minimizing the militancy in the region. He apprised the envoy that Pakistan is front line partner in war on terror and suffered a lot in this regards. He pledged to continue the war till elimination of terrorists in the country. He urged upon World Community to come forward to helping Pakistan for eradication of militancy in the region. He also lauded the efforts of UN in extending support for earth quack affected areas and rehabilitation of IDPs of Sawat/Malakand and hoped for continuation of financial assistance to Pakistan in establishment of vocational centers to promote the education in religious institutions.

Mr. Rapit agreed and appreciated the proposal of the Minister and asked for preparation of feasibility report of the Pilot Project of the vocational Centers for submission to the Envoy in his next visit of Pakistan in last week of March this year. He assured the Minister that UN would assist Pakistan and international community in responding to the present humanitarian recovery and reconstruction needs relating to the country’s displacement crises. In this effort the special envoy, the Resident Coordinator and the Humanitarian Coordinator will work closely together, he added.

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PID

During his stay he will find out how the UK is working with the Pakistani Government to improve the quality of education and ensure that all children in Pakistan have the chance to get in to school.

Caan will be in Pakistan from 20 February and will have discussions with representatives from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to learn more about how its £250 million UK aid programme is supporting education in the country. He will learn about DFID’s planned programmes in the Punjab, including how DFID is working with the World Bank to strengthen teacher recruitment, improve school infrastructure and work with the private sector to improve school management. The programme will help five million more children attend school and give 500,000 young people the skills they need to get jobs.

“I believe that every child has a right to education. Giving people a chance in life and schooling is at the heart of fighting poverty and maintaining security in Pakistan,” comments Caan. “This programme will deliver the benefit of education to millions of children, in turn equipping them with the knowledge and skills to work, providing a much-needed long-term boost to the Pakistan economy. Nothing could be more important than giving the younger generation of Pakistan this opportunity, with the numerous challenges the country is currently facing. I am delighted to be involved with this initiative and to have the opportunity of giving something back.”

Half of the population of Pakistan is illiterate, with six million children of school age currently not attending school. Education in Pakistan is a particular passion for Caan, who was born in Lahore and is proud to have been able to fund the construction and running of his own school in his home town, which hundreds of local children can attend for free.

“With nearly half of all children still not receiving an education, there’s a huge challenge ahead,” comments George Turkington, Head of DFID’s country office in Pakistan. “Education is a top priority of the UK’s aid programme in Pakistan and it will soon be one of our biggest worldwide. We can’t afford to let Pakistan’s children down. Turning these appalling indicators around can get Pakistan back on track to meeting the Millennium Development Goal on universal primary education. And, by tackling deprivation and exclusion, education can help to address grievances that can fuel extremism. We welcome James Caan’s support and look forward to investing in a better future for Pakistan’s children.”

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George Sherriff
Press Attaché and Deputy Head of Strategic Communications
BHC Islamabad
telephone: +92 (0) 51 201 2884 ftn: 8405 2884

Dr. Rana Qamar Masood, chief organizer of the student week and the ceremony, mentioned the aims and objectives of the student week and the details of all events. She mentioned that Dow Olympics of last year also had same events and was much appreciated by the students.

Prof. Muhammad Umar Farooq, Pro-VC DUHS welcomed the audience and appreciated whole hearted participation of the students and faculty members of various DUHS institutes to make it a successful event.

Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor DUHS mentioned the importance of co-curricular activities for mental and physical fitness besides inculcating sportsman spirit. Hence the student week has been included in the schedule of all institutes to be held annually.

Before the formal ceremony singing competition was also held earlier in the evening.

Fastest South Asian lady athlete Naseem Hameed, who won the gold medal, Rauf Siddique, minister for commerce and industry, Sardar Yasin Malik, chief executive of Hilton Pharma, S.M. Sheikh Siddiqe a philanthropist & social worker Prof. Ghaffar Billoo member DUHS syndicate, Kaiser Waheed and. Zahid Saeed past and present president of Pakistan pharmaceutical manufactures association, respectively, Shahid Ahmed Khan, executive director Lakson group and Hart Mutt Wellard specialist of International Marketing were guests of Honors who presented trophies, medals, shields and certificates of various events including Naat Qirat, debates, extempore & cooking competition besides table tennis, badminton, Squash, Throw ball tournaments and various athletic events.

During the prize distribution, short skits, standup comedy and parodies were also performed by students of different institutes and were much appreciated by everybody.

The trophy for maximum winners went to Dow Medical College and was presented to the principal DMC Prof. Junaid Ashraf by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Masood Hameed Khan and the athletic champion Naseem Hameed.

Rauf Siddique, provisional Minister, after giving away the trophy and medals to winners spoke briefly and appreciated efforts and congratulated the organizing committee and the winners of all events. He also announced that Sindh Government would give performance certificate to the winners and organizing committee of the DUHS annual student week.

Sardar Yaseen Malik, Chairman Hilton Pharma, after giving medals also appreciated the efforts of DUHS and said that he as a part of member planning at Dow University is aware of and acknowledge its six successful years under the leadership of Prof. Masood Hameed Khan.

The South Asian Athletic Champion, Naseem Hameed gave medals and trophies to the boys and girls of all athletic events. In her address she thanked the organizers of DUHS function for providing her the opportunity to attend such a big ceremony first time as a guest of honor and requested the audience to pray for her future successes.

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Madiha Ansari
Media Coordinator,
021 5653676

He said that jobs of fifteen male and seven female teachers serving in KIU are threatened despite the fact that they were appointed as contract lecturers fulfilling all legal requirements in 2007. These 22 resident teachers were selected out of 422 candidates after qualifying all tests conducted by COMSATS and Beharia University, Islamabad.
According to the agreement, they were to be employed permanently subject to availability of posts.

However, now the administration of KIU has decided not to regularise these lecturers but to hire fresh candidates against already occupied posts. This decision is against the norms of equity, good conscious, and fair play, he said.

“The policy of firing existing educators to hire retired colleagues must be revisited as it will invite many problems,” said Dr. Murtaza Mughal. The move may jeopardise future of students and result in political unrest in that remote area, he warned. In addition, such practices are against the charter of Quaid-e-Azam University, which has been adopted by KIU.

“Vice chancellor should maintain equality between all subordinates by remaining fair and square,” he demanded. Employees having years of experience cannot be deprived of their legal and constitutional rights, he said adding that we should stand for fair play under the present rules of the game, he furthered.

The affected teachers working in BPS 18 and 19 include Nisar Alam, Rizwan Akhtar, Muhammad Idrees, Miss Ghazala, Miss Naila, Miss Seema Waffi, Shah Nawaz, Manzoor Hussain, Muhammd Sharif, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, Miss Ponum Almas, Miss Isma Wali, Zahidullah, Dr. Ansaarudin, Irfan Ali, Sajjad Haider, Nizamuddin, Asadullah, Miss Sajida Asghar, Miss Jamila Baig, Javed Akhtar, and Noorul Amin. —Ends

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Dr. Murtaza Mughal
Cell: 0321-5157671

Few people realise that bullying can cause children (and adults) to attempt suicide and to commit suicide. A famous book “Bullycide: death at playtime” authored by Neil Marr and Tim Field reveals that each year in the UK at least sixteen children commit suicide because of bullying at school.

Realizing the gravity of it, the Springboard School System decided to spearhead this initiative in this metropolis so that others emulate the same and indirectly excel in the character building of their students.
“Bullycide is a word coined by the authors to describe when bullied children are driven to suicide rather than face another day of unrelenting bullying, harassment and abuse,” said Shagufta Asad, the administrator of Springboard School System.

She said that through the awareness campaign, students will learn how to prevent and eliminate bullying and that they are NOT alone. It will also reveal to them that being bullied and teased is NOT their fault and that they CAN do something positive about it.

In this two week campaign students will share their personal stories, write poems, prepare anti bullying posters, wristbands, sings songs and film their own videos. Last day of campaign will focus on sharing information with community focusing on main message that bullying is a community issue and that school can not eliminate it alone as it happens not in school but at workplace, in government, in our legal system, in the media and even with out senior citizens.

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Shagufta Asad
Administrator,

Springboard School System
Chaklala Scheme -III, Rawalpindi
0345 850 6356
03028545359

In Iran, Dr. Qureshi met Dr. Mohammad Mehdinejad Nouri, the Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Technology and apprised him of the COMSATS on-going efforts to facilitate Iranian participation in regional and international scientific events. Dr. Qureshi also met high officials of Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), including Dr. M. Molanejad, Director of Regional Centre for Science and Transfer of Technology and Director of International Cooperation of IROST. In separate meetings, H. E. Mr. M.B. Abbasi, Ambassador of Pakistan to Tehran, and Dr. Saeed Sarkar of the Nanotechnology Institute in Iran, were briefed about the objectives of Executive Director’s visit to Iran.

Another highlight of Dr. Qureshi’s visit to Iran was his participation in the 23rd Khwarizmi International Award (KIA) held in Tehran, on 7th February 2010. COMSATS has been co-sponsoring this award since 1999. In his interactions with the academicians, scientists and technologists on this occasion, Dr. Qureshi emphasized the need for South-South cooperation for an overall socio-economic uplift of developing countries.

During his three-day visit to Jordan that started on January 8, 2009, Dr. Qureshi visited COMSATS’ Jordanian Centre of Excellence, Royal Scientific Society (RSS) where he held meetings with high officials of Jordanian government and Dr. Khaled Kahhaleh, the Vice President of RSS. Important points that came under discussion during these meetings were: Jordan’s participation in the upcoming COMSATS Commission meeting; COMSATS’ past, present and future activities with RSS, and the redesignation of COMSATS focal point in Jordan.

On the last day of his visit, Dr. Qureshi met H.E. Dr. Khaled Anis Irani, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan. In both countries, the personal letters from Mr. M. Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan were delivered to his counterparts. The visits to the laboratories of IROST and RSS enabled the Executive Director to assess their potential for technology transfer within the Member States.

These visits of Dr. Qureshi are expected to strengthen the Secretariat’s on-going efforts to create new synergies with COMSATS’ Member States and Centres of Excellence.

For More Info, please contact:
Tajammul Hussain
DG International Affiars
+92-51-9204892

Widely attended by youth from all across Pakistan, the National Science Fair, which is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), one of the world’s largest pre-college science competitions, showcased nearly 117 science projects submitted by young scientists from all across the nation who qualified for a place in the National Science Fair after rigorous competition at district and provincial levels. Mr. Ghulam Farid Kathia, Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, graced the occasion as the chief guest.

Projects displayed at the National Science Fair were assessed by a panel of renowned judges for further selection in the upcoming Intel ISEF 2010 to be held in Reno, Nevada, USA. Intel ISEF, the world’s largest pre-college science competition, enables more than 1,500 young scientists from all across the globe to gather on a single platform to exchange ideas and knowledge, showcase cutting-edge science and compete for over US$ 4 million* in awards and scholarships.

The National Science Fair, organized every year by Intel Pakistan Corporation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, is part of Intel’s efforts to contribute to science education reform in Pakistan. Winners of the National Science Fair 2010 will represent the nation in the upcoming Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) 2010 in San Jose, USA.

“The Government of Pakistan aims to improve quality of education by promoting initiatives in areas of science and technology,” said Mr. Ghulam Farid Kathia, Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan. “We also encourage easy access to computers by our youth in collaboration with leading organizations such as Intel Pakistan. We have wholeheartedly supported the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair which is a unique opportunity for our students to improve their research and engineering skills while displaying their talent before a global audience”.

“Every year students are selected from Pakistan to participate in the Intel ISEF, which is held in the US, where hundreds of students from across the globe compete for over USD 4 million in scholarships, prizes and awards. I am happy to acknowledge that in the past few years projects designed by our students have won at this prestigious International fair,” he added.

Sharing his insights on the occasion, Ashar H. Zaidi, Country Manager, Intel Pakistan stated, “It is heartening to note that each year more schools and students are participating in the Intel Science Fairs with increased vigor, to excel in the areas of science and research. We, at Intel, are grateful to the Ministry of Education for their support and cooperation towards this initiative, which is aimed towards encouraging research-based learning in schools all across Pakistan.” He further mentioned that research workshops are held across Pakistan to educate teachers and students on science and research. “The Intel ISEF program also involves the larger community, by working with leading professors and scientists from universities and the private sector across the country. These professionals work with students as mentors to guide them during their research projects, and serve as judges at the various fairs that take place throughout the country.”

About Intel ISEF
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, sponsored by Intel since 1997, is the world’s largest celebration of science, showcasing the world’s most promising young scientists and inventors. Student finalists, in grades nine through 12, emerge from a field of approximately one million students who compete in more than 500 regional Intel ISEF-affiliated science fairs around the world. Intel’s sponsorship of the International Science and Engineering Fair is part of the Intel Education Initiative, which is focused on collaborating with educators around the world to improve the quality of science and mathematics education and to help students develop the higher level thinking skills they need to participate and succeed in a knowledge-based economy. For more information, visit www.intel.com/education.

This fast track route is a unique offering from the world’s largest professional body of management accountants which trains the business leaders of the future. MBA holders around the world, who are interested in professionalising their CV, can study for one fast-track exam to gain the CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting qualification and then progress to CIMA’s strategic level.

Robert Jelly, Executive Director of CIMA Education, says: “MBAs have come in for a rough ride recently – primarily because of claims they do not have a strong ethical backbone. Everywhere there is a renewed emphasis on professionals who are guided by principles rather than expediency.

A fee of £500 includes registration, first year subscription fees, the exam and online study packages – see www.cimaglobal.com/cmga for more information. To qualify for the CMGA exam in May 2010, those interested must apply by 26 February. The following exam session will be in November 2010.

“Professional qualifications, like CIMA’s, oblige their members to not only study the fundamentals of business ethics but to apply them throughout their careers. Our new fast-track route for MBA holders is a pioneering initiative that offers business managers a chance to gain a professional and competitive edge.”

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest professional body of Management Accountants, with 172,000 members and students operating in 165 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit organisations. CIMA works closely with employers and sponsors leading-edge research, constantly updating its qualification, professional experience requirements and continuing professional development to ensure it remains the employers’ choice when recruiting financially-trained business leaders.

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Faraz.S.Usmani
Group Account Manager

Bridge Public Relations
506, Business Avenue ,P.E.C.H.S, Block 6,
shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi.
Contact: (9221) 4547451, 4547516
Fax: (9221) 4556967
cell # : 0300-2343848