HYDERABAD, Oct 16: The syndicate of the University of Sindh at a meeting recommended the annual budget for the university for the year 2008-09 and submitted its annual report to the senate for its approval.

Finance Director Faiz Mohammad Hingoro, who presented the budget, said that the university’s estimated income was Rs1425.044 million and expenditure Rs1731.952 million. Thus it would face a deficit of Rs306.908 million.

He said that main cause of the deficit in the budget was a cut in the annual grant by the federal government and increase in pays and pensions.

The syndicate approved the upgrade of pay scale of meritorious professors from BPS-21 to BPS-22 and grant of BPS -22 to Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, Dr G.M. Seehar, Dr Iqbal A. Panhwar, Dr Ubedullah Abbasi, Dr Mohammad Usman Memon, Dr Anwar Ali Shah, Dr S.M. Leghari and Dr M.Y Khuhawar.

It approved a memorandum of understanding between the University of British Columbia / Simon Fraser University, Canada, and the University of Sindh. The meeting approved names of new heads of different departments and institutes of the university.

It also approved names of some scholars to work as visiting faculty at different teaching institutes and departments.

The meeting was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq and was attended by new members and nominees of the Sindh governor / chancellor and the Higher Education Commission.

LAW DEPARTMENT: The academic council of the University of Sindh has approved the upgrade of the department of law as the Institute of Law.

The council in a meeting held on Thursday also approved the syllabi for the five-year L.L.B degree programme.

The meeting also approved decisions regarding the establishment of Mirza Qaleech Baig Chair and M.H. Panhwar Chair at the university.

Speaking on the occasion, the vice-chancellor, Mazharul Haq Siddiqi, laid emphasis on the scholars to work hard for the improvement of the quality of education. He said that teachers must guide and produce quality students to serve the nation.

He informed the meeting that 75 PhD scholarships from abroad had been approved and hoped that with the scholarships, the university would get help in faculty development.

The meeting was attended by pro-vice-chancellor Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, Dr Asadullah Kazi, deans of various faculties, heads of the teaching centres, institutes and departments and representatives of all affiliated colleges.

CONFERENCE: The Department of General History and faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sindh, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission is organizing a two-day Pir Hussamuddin Rashidi international conference on the history of Sindh 1843-1999 from Oct 18 at Allama I.I.Kazi campus Jamshoro.

Renowned historians from abroad including Dr Sarah Ansari from Royal Holloway University of London, Dr Aftab Ahmed Kazi and Mehboob Akhtar Pathan from the US, Dr Arshad Islam from International Islamic University Malaysia have confirmed their participation in the moot and will present their papers.