SWABI, May 3: Three foreign universities of engineering and technology would start functioning in Pakistan from October this year under the government’s programme to build a network of varsities, said Dr Mohammad Mujahid, an official of Higher Education Commission, here on Saturday.

Accompanying a German delegation during its visit to Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, he said that Pakistan Germany University, Pakistan China University and Pakistan Austria University had planned to commence classes from Oct 2008. “The former two universities had already acquired spaces in the old Lahore airport building and the later would begin classes in Islamabad on temporary basis,” he told Dawn.

Prof Franz Nestmann, Ms Ursula Saarbeck, Dr Ghazala Sadiq and Irfanullah Khan were part of delegation. Dr Mujahid said that they would kick off their academic activities with a small number of students and after their original campuses were ready in 2011 they would start complete programs at the undergraduate level.

He said that some of the foreign engineering universities —German, Australian, French, Italian, Chinese, South Korean and Swedish — had planned to meet the acute shortage in quality engineering education in the country and also fulfil the requirements of the industry.

To a question, he said that with the establishment of foreign universities environment of tough competition would be created. But the good omen would be the imparting of international quality education to the students according to the requirements of the country, he added.

About the purpose of the visit to the GIK Institute, he said: “the delegation has already visited the public sector universities and is now visiting the private varsities to see what kinds of facilities are available in these institutions and how they mould their own quality programme.”

GIK Institute Pro-Rector Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid briefed the delegation about the curriculum activities, students’ strength, engineering disciplines, international advisory board, admission process, research projects, link with the foreign universities, faculty and interaction with the industry.

They also discussed the possible collaboration and interaction, power plants and micro-power plants. The delegation visited laboratories in the faculty of materials science and engineering and faculty of mechanical engineering. Later, the delegation visited Tarbela Power Station, where an official gave briefed it about the completion of the world’s largest earth-filled dam on River Indus, electricity generation and reservoir.

The delegation was also taken to the different parts of the dam. Members of delegation were told that the dam was main source of power production in the country and it met major requirements of the electricity for the industry.