KARACHI: The second convocation of the Dawood University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) saw its graduating students huddled together, savouring bittersweet memories shared over a span of four years.

Held at the Expo Centre on Monday, bachelor degrees were awarded in different majors, from electronic and chemical engineering to metallurgy and architecture.

Though originally established in 1962, the college was upgraded to university in March, 2013, further establishing the credentials of its existing and new departments. The aim was to encompass a range of alternative degree programmes to equip students with the latest in technological advancements in the fields of energy, environment, petroleum and gas.

DUET Vice Chancellor Dr Faizullah Abbasi said the university, though having faced many hardships, enjoyed a privileged position in the province, “steadily reaching the top. We do not believe in expanding too quickly as have other universities. Instead, DUET wishes that each year will see a marked improvement in performance as well as quality control.”

Dr Abbasi shared his initial impression of the university, which he stressed was in a “state of decay. It was handed over by the federal government with chaos and disorder in every sphere of its functioning. However, I rallied on and more than two years later, DUET has transformed and the chaos is now more organised, more manageable.”

With hundreds of students finally on track with their respective degrees, for Dr Abbasi this was a proud moment, one which proves that the university “always had the potential and the students had hidden talents. It was just a matter of recognising them”.

Students and faculty members happily shared the many events that have left an indelible mark on them. One most fondly remembered was the international conference held in September 2014 on creating food self-sufficiency in Thar. Inspired by how crops were being grown in saline water around the world, Dr Abbasi then decided to explore a similar adaptation model in Thar, which has saline and brackish water aplenty. “Hydrogeologists and agriculturists came together to envision food sustainability.”

Another conference is in the works, especially designed for architecture students at DUET on the civilisation in Moenjodaro.

Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Nisar Ahmed Khuhro gave a passionate speech.

He said: “To pave a patch for the success of Sindh, and the country, you must be the builders and engineers of the nation.” Calling each and every graduate a beacon of hope, he urged them to recognise and appreciate what their families had gone through to get them this far. “It is your time to give back, to the country, to the province and to your families.”

More than 80 per cent of the students at DUET were male and so it was heartening to see a female securing the top graduate position at the university. Tayaba Khurshed, student of the telecommunication engineering department, spoke to Dawn about her journey thus far. “The department was newly set up when I started my degree and so the students and faculty faced a lot of problems in its initial stages. However, the unending support of the faculty, the vice chancellor, my family, and of course my friends at DUET allowed me to succeed and this gold medal represents all of our efforts combined.”

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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