When a group of dedicated educationists, professionals, and industrialists laid the foundation of UMT in 1990 as the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), all they had in hand were meager resources and boundless vision. Today, 23 years later, UMT has come of age, boldly embarking on an agenda of leading the knowledge frontiers in education, research, training, and consultancy.

UMT – now an independent, not-for-profit, private institution of higher learning – received her degree-granting charter first as the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in 2002 through an Act of the Assembly of the Punjab. Later, on 16 June 2004, IMT became University of Management and Technology through the passing of a similar Act by the Punjab Assembly.

It has been a saga of success since then. The core management team of the University under the leadership of Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad has achieved one milestone after another. Today, with over 5,500 students and 300+ faculty members, UMT offers undergraduate, graduate, MS/MPhil and PhD degree programs in diverse disciplines ranging from the social sciences, linguistics and liberal arts to management, business administration, and finance to engineering, applied sciences, textiles, media and communication and much more.

As UMT embarks on another year in its journey towards achieving greater heights in academic excellence, let us pray in all humility and thank Allah Almighty for all the success and progress made so far. With the blessing of Allah, and the unflinching commitment of the UMT family, UMT is poised to make greater strides in the coming years.

UMT is participating in The News Education Expo 2013, being held today at Pearl Continental hotel, Lahore, under the umbrella of Jang Group of Newspapers. Chief Minister of Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the expo this morning. The primary objective behind this platform is to introduce students to institutions of higher learning in Pakistan and to guide them regarding educational opportunities available in foreign countries as well. Leading institutions and entities have established their stalls at the Expo,a team of UMT representatives is currently at the venue, with its stall, showcasing the programs being offered at UMT.

This education expo is being held simultaneously in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. During the Expo, students are being guided by educational institutes related to the different topics; namely business and commerce, banking and finance, charted accountancy, engineering, art and design, advertising and film, textile and many more. Free career counseling sessions by prominent trainers are also being held.

The expo has started today on 17^th June 2013 and it will end on 18^th June 2013. Entry to the Expo is free and timings are 10: am- 7:30pm.

It is to be noted that an article titled " The Wisdom of Noah", authored by Ahmad Raza, Research Fellow, ORC, has been published in Daily Dawn.

UMT Press invites authors, contributors and translators to join the elite panel of knowledge leaders having diverse themes and innovative ideas encompassing the living horizons of human endeavour leading to success.
UMT  Press may consider publishing your book/Monogram if it meets high standards, and contains useful knowledge and research. We are launching a drive to network authors, contributors, editors and translators who would like to share their creative work with wider audience. The prospective writers shall focus on issues related to various facts and challenges around driven themes of human life and society.

Submitted manuscripts must have:
–    Originally created themes expanded to produce and disseminate knowledge
–    Best quality and global merits

All manuscripts must be typed with the following specifications:
–    14 points Times New Roman/Arial
–    Double spaced and APA format
–    Digital copy on A4 size paper

All submitted manuscripts must carry author's full name, mailing address, valid contact number and e-mail. Send your manuscripts to:

Mirza Muhammad Ilyas
Manager, UMT Press
University of Management and Technology
C-II, UMT Road, Johar Town, Lahore-54770
Tel.:+92 42 35212801-10
Fax: +92 42 35184789
Web: http:/www.umt.edu.pk
Email: muhammad.ilyas@umt.edu.pk

Anver Mohamed Mustapha, one of our distinguished alumnus, visited UMT. He met Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, faculty members and senior officials. He was also taken on a tour of the campus.

Anvar received master degree in computer science from ILM/UMT. In the years that followed, he rendered invaluable services by serving in senior positions in international development agencies, various professional bodies and educational institutions. He is currently working as Director General/ CEO of College of Information Management and Sciences (CIMS), Sri Lanka.

An MoU has been signed between UMT and Bfz gGmbH under the aegis of project Espire on Saturday, June 8^th 2013. Dr Salim Abid Tabassum, Dean School of Engineering, UMT and Martin Strähle, Project Coordinator International Division, Bfz gGmbH, signed the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations.

Bfz gGmbH is one of the largest private providers of vocational training in Germany. Its International Division runs development co-operation projects on behalf of World Bank, European Union and German Government in several countries of Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Under the umbrella of project Espire, UMT together with Bfz gGmbH, will enhance the capabilities of the faculty members by a series of workshops and trainings. UMT students will benefit through participation in trainings and real time industrial projects supervised by trained staff  in the domains of Energy Efficiency and Green Productivity. 

This MoU is yet another earmark showing UMT’s commitment towards its efforts for the better future of faculty members, students, industry and Pakistan. UMT is committed to continue the work started by Bfz gGmbH in Pakistan.  

Mashood Nasir, Lecturer SST, presented research paper in 2013 IEEE 7th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO). The objective of this conference was to provide a meeting place to engineers, academia and researchers where they would share and discuss their recent research findings and would explore recent developments.

An article titled "Academic Dishonesty: a Tantalizing Threat" authored by Sadia Riaz, Lecturer, ICCS, has been published in The Pakistan Times on June 02, 2013. The crux of the article is that academic dishonesty is a lethal virus that instills its roots in every vulnerable mind, engulfs the fabric of its intelligence and slows down its functioning.

It is a good news for all UMT community that ILM and UMT family is being expanded with the establishment of ILM Colleges by ILM Colleges Head Office Team in five different cities of Punjab; namely Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Walton Lahore, Pasrur and Faisalabad.

The team of ILM Colleges Head Office has done a fantastic job through exploring the new business ventures and expanding the ILM family. The motivation, innovation and persistence made all the difference in making such achievement possible. The establishment of new ILM colleges will provide opportunity to people to acquire quality education.

It is worth mentioning that research paper titled " In Vitro Assessment of Protection from Oxidative Stress by Various Fractions of Mazus pumilus”, authored by Dr Sammia Shahid, Assistant Professor, SST, has been published in Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan.

Eleven UMT BBA students have been selected by the British Council to act as its "designated official  representatives" for one of its unique social entrepreneurial projects called "Connecting Classrooms". 

British Council is a big name that does not require any description. It has its presence in over 150 countries globally and is currently working on a number of different social initiatives. Every year, the British Council (UK) selects three countries on the basis of their performance, particularly in the area of social welfare projects. This year, the British Council has chosen UAE, Egypt and Pakistan for their role regarding social welfare projects.

In a program titled "show your creativity", initiated by the British Council in Pakistan and executed by Yes Network Pakistan, more than 600 students participated. The program was held in almost 50 different institutes (universities, colleges, schools) of Pakistan. Since last four months, 42 students from UMT Entrepreneurial Class were actively engaged in this project (also as their course project). 

Due to their exceptional participation in "show your creativity" program, the British Council made the decision to involve UMT students in its next project called "Connecting Classrooms".

It is worth mentionong that the 11 selected students from UMT have been selected from amongst 600 students (participants of "show your creativity program") who are selected by British Council to be British Council official representatives for "Connecting Classrooms" project. 

This project is an educational initiative of British Council, Pakistan, whereby different schools, teachers and students will interact with each other. They will also get trained and developed on modern teaching and learning methodologies. 

Moreover, UMT students are being filmed today by the British Council, Pakistan, and they will also be presenting their "Show Your Creativity" projects ( A Social Initiative). UMT community will be highly privileged to know that  representatives of British Council were so inspired by UMT students that they have interviewed them individually and have offered them to become "Official representatives of British council" in the future. 

In September, this year the filmed documentary will be presented to the "House of Lords" in UK by British Council along with projects from Egypt and UAE .The selected students from UMT have been already informed regarding invitation from the British Council (UK)  to present and share their work with the "House of Lords". 

Apart from this, these 11 selected students are going to have a 4-day training session by the British Council in July 2013 in Serena, Islamabad. This is paid training to our students and after successful completion of the training, the students shall be awarded  title of "Internationally Certified Trainer" by the British Council. 

A research paper titled, "Developing the conceptual framework to explore the role of Quality Practices on Supply Chain Performance", authored by Ijaz Yusuf, Assistant Professor, SBE, co-authored by Dr Sarwar M Azhar, Professor, SBE, and Dr Tashfeen M Azhar, Professor, SBE, has been accepted for presentation in the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines (IABPAD) Conference, July 1-4, 2013. It is also accepted for publication in IABPAD Conference Proceedings. Both are scheduled to be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

It is a moment of pride for UMT community that proposal by Maryam Iraj, Director Academics, Institute of Communication and Cultural Studies (ICCS), for one-week workshop on "English Language Teaching Reforms (ELTR) Project Phase II, has been approved by HEC. All funding and the required expertise would be provided by HEC on a mutually agreed schedule.

Research work "Radar ECCM Against Deception Jamming: A Novel Approach Using Bi-Static and Mono-Static Radars" by Faran Awais Butt, Lecturer, SST, has been regarded as patentable by HEC.

For this a detailed patent draft is to be prepared by the researcher which will through an extensive evaluation by the HEC patent expert based in United States. The HEC patent expert gives comments to HEC whether the work is patentable or not. The patentable research work is sponsored by HEC.

The patent has been filed as Deception Jamming Prevention Using Bi-Static and Mono-Static Radars in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Now it would be evaluated by US patent office. The evaluation procedure usually takes about 1-2 years.

Details of online registration and schedule have been announced. Participants may register from May 27- June 5, 2013.

Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad has appointed Dr Rukhsana Kalim, Professor SBE, as Dean, School of Business and Economics.

Dr Faheem ul Islam shall continue working as Professor at SBE. Dr Sarwar Mahmood Azhar, Professor SBE, has been appointed as Associate Dean Research at SBE.

The above appointments are effective from May 17, 2013 and subject to the approval from the Board of Governors (BoG). We wish both Dr Rukhsana Kalim and Dr Sarwar Azhar a great success in their new roles and responsibilities.

Rector and Dean's Merit Award Ceremony for students of Fall 2012 was held at the UMT campus on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad awarded certificates to students who had demonstrated exceptional academic performance during Fall 2012.

Dr Hasan took this opportunity to encourage the students and urge them to excel more in their studies. He said that all students present today have shown that they are different from the crowd and have the potential to reach great heights. 

The graceful ceremony was attended by Imran Zahid, Controller of Examinations, and other high ranking UMT officials.

Dr Muhammad Tahir Mushtaq, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering (SEN), has been selected as HEC approved supervisor for PhD students, funded under various HEC in-country Scholarship Programs (Indigenous PhD Scholarship Scheme).

There is an internship opportunity at the UMT Social Media, Office of Communications and Media (OCM) for UMT participants and alumni skilled in the following:

• Video editing (Adobe Premiere and Corel Video Studio x5, x6)
• Professional camera handling 

The internship is paid. It is to be noted that only one position is available and the total duration of internship is six months.

The interested candidates can send their CV on bilal.sheikh@umt.edu.pk

The last date to apply is May 22, 2013. In case of any queries you can contact us at + 92 42 35212801-10, EXT: 407

Shahid Memon, President, Pakistan Disabled Foundation, denoted the E-Granary Global Digital Resource Library(GDRL) to Prof Dr Abdul Hameed, Dean, School of Social Science and Humanities (UMT). The equipment was arranged by University of Iowa, USA, and the project was conceived by US Council of Disability , Washington DC.

A research paper titled “On a Class oF Controlled Funstional Differential Inclusions” authored by Sadia Arshad, Lecturer, SST, has been accepted for publication in the journal "Le Matematiche".

A research paper titled “Fabric Tensile Strength as Affected by Different Anti pilling Agents at Various Concentration and pH Levels”, co-authored by Dr Nabeel Amin, Director, STD, has been published in J.Chem.Soc.Pak.,Vol. 35, No.2, 2013 (pages 238-242).

Impact factor: 1.37

In connection with the upcoming General Elections 2013, UMT along with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has come forward to create awareness among the citizens of Pakistan to use the power of their votes to change destiny of their country . Both ECP and UMT believe in strengthening the process of democracy in Pakistan and for this purpose UMT is strongly encouraging and motivating its staff and students body to cast their votes on historical day – May 11, 2013.

Remember, each vote counts and every single vote can make a difference.

ECP Voter Education Handbook (English)

ECP Voter Education Handbook (Urdu)

Polling Process Leaflet

Students of UMT participated in 6 competitions held at Muhammad Ali Jinnah University Islamabad. The competitions included Speed Wiring, C-Programing, Micro Controller Interfacing, Quiz Competition and Chess competition. The rival teams were from different universities of Pakistan like UET Taxilla, UET Peshawar, Fast Islamabad, Comsats Islamabad, Islamia University Bahawalpur and Muhammad Ali Jinnah University.

UMT was represented by Syed Mohsin Ali, Lecturer EE SEN UMT (as an Ambassador ) and students
Salman Khalid, Muhammad Babar, Faisal Yasin, Syed Kamran Hassan, Ehtasham Asghar, Ehtasham-ul-Haq, Hafiz Zaheer, Usman Rashid, Rizwan Qayyum, Tahir Satar, Mughees ur Rehman, and M Awais. The UMT Team stood 1st in 4 out of above six competitions. Students were awarded with souvenir, certificates and cash prize.

The detail of the events and winning participants are as following

Quiz Competition

Syed Kamran Hassan                            091420320

Ehtasham Asghar                                  091420376

Faisal Yasin                                          101519050

C-Programing 

Hafiz Zaheer Hussain                             091420088
Salman Khalid                                       091420009

Muhammad Babar                                 091420053

Micro Controller Interfacing 

Muhammad Usman Rashid                    091420011

Muhammad Babar                                 091420053 

Salman Khalid                                      091420009

Chess Competition

Ehtasham-ul-Haq                                   091420073

Research paper authored by Rashida Manzoor, MPhil Applied Linguistics UMT, has been accepted at The 8th Language at the University of Essex Postgraduate Conference, for oral presentation.

Holidays of Students: 

• UMT will remain closed for students from May 08-13, 2013 on account of election holidays. 

Holidays for Staff:

• UMT will remain close from May 09 to May 11 (Thursday to Saturday) for General Elections 2013.

OFM has invited Lahore Traffic Police earlier for issuance of Learning License to UMT staff and participants. 

The Lahore Traffic Police Mobile Unit is due at UMT on May 6, 2013 at 10:00 am to issue  Computerized Driving License. All those, who got learning licenses at campus are advised to purcahse stamps from the nearest post office and get their medical signed by Medical officer/ MBBS Doctor (UMT or any other) for obtaining the computerized driving license.

Procedure 

1. Buy stamps/ Tickets from post office and keep it in your possession.

        Only for motor cycle   : Rs  550/-

        Car/ Bike                  : Rs  950/-

        Only Car                   : Rs 900/-

 2. Get your medical form filled and signed by authorized medical officer.

 3. Bring your file along with slip issued earlier.

 4. Be present at campus at 10: 00 am Monday, May 6, 2013 for test and submission of documents. 

In a significant development, UMT Law and Boston University Law have reached an agreement for academic cooperation and interaction. Under the agreement, BU Law and UMT Law/CLP will work to promote the academic and professional development of UMT graduate law students and CLP faculty and staff. 

It is worth mentioning that UMT Law is the only law school in Pakistan to have successfully initiated such arrangements. 

Complete details of the agreement may be viewed at the BU Law website.

UMT and University of Essex have reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enable both institutions to work together closely and forge strong links. This academic partnership is the result of over two years of negotiations and discussions that culminated in the agreement. Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad has congratulated Dr Sajjad Shami, Chairman, Electrical Engineering Department, School of Engineering (SEN) for his consistent efforts in reaching the agreement.

It may be noted that the University of Essex is among the top 10 in research in the UK.

A research paper titled “Effectiveness of an Active Phased Array Radar System” authored by Faran Awais Butt, Lecturer, SST,  has been accepted for publication in the 34th PIERS (Progress in Electromagnetic Research Symposium) scheduled to be held on August 12-15 at Stockholm, Sweden.

The UMT community will be proud to note that the three players from UMT Rugby team, namely, Muhammad Abdullah (Captain), Muhammad Manan Naseem and Arslan Mir have been selected to represent Pakistan National Rugby Team in the HSBC Asian 5 Nation Rugby championship to be held in Dubai on May 2-11, 2013.

The Office of Career Services at UMT cordially invites you to a seminar on “Reflection from a successful leader of today” on May 2, 2013, Thursday from 3:00 PM to 5:00pm. The guest speaker is current CEO of Mitchelles Fruit Farm, Mujeeb Rashid.

We at UMT believe in developing close linkages with industries as it is fundamentally important and advantageous to both industries and academia. University-business relationships strengthen community awareness and participation in the education process and contribute to innovation and high achievement in the university.

This highly interactive experience will provide students with an opportunity to learn from the most inspiring and experienced leaders of today before they step into their professional life where they will have to go through many competitions.   

We invite you to be a part of it and also support us by encouraging students to actively participate. 

Speaker’s Profile

Mujeeb Rashid has also worked as Director and General Manager at Packages Limited and Marketing Director at Nestle. He played a strong role in the high growth of business during his period initiating and implementing effective and lasting systems of Human Resource, Industrial Performance & Quality Management.

UMT is holding 1st Video Contest at its campus where prizes will be given to the top five outstanding videos created by students.

• First prize Rs 15,000
• Second prize Rs 10,000
• Third prize Rs 8,000
• Fourth prize Rs 5,000
• Fifth prize Rs 3,000

Students are asked to submit videos related to the following themes:

1. Islamic Video about Pakistani culture
2. About UMT
3. Alcohol/drug responsibility
4. Stress management
5. General wellness
6. Eating disorders
7. Nutrition
8. Tobacco use
9. Sleep
10. Fitness

The prize winning movies will be screened during the Convocation. A distinguished panel of judges will select the top five videos and criteria for the selection of best videos is creativity, uniqueness, entertainment value and message.

For participationg in the contest, send your enteries to zain.islam@umt.edu.pk. The last date to submit videos is Aug. 6, 2013.

Guidelines for Submission

1. Create a video using the following script:
   "My name is ___________and I'm from _____________ As my time starts here at UMT, here's how I hope to help change the world: _________."
2. Make sure your videos are:
   • No more than 2 Minutes in length
   • No more than 200MB in size
   • At least 320x240 in resolution
   • Saved in .wmv, .mov, .h.264, or .wav format
3. Only one video submission per incoming student is permitted

A paper titled “Pakistani English Language Teachers’ Perceptions and Classroom Practices about Grammar Teaching at O- Level” authored by Ayesha Zafar, Lecturer, ICCS, has been accepted for presentation and publication at the International Language for Communication Conference (ILCC 2013) which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The conference is being arranged by the International Islamic University, Malaysia.

It is a great news for the UMT family that Salman Khalid, student of Department of Electrical Engineering, has secured full international internship at Network Architecture Laboratory (NAL) at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne ( EPFL), Switzerland. The internship is of three months duration starting from July 1 till September 30, 2013.

Every day some of our students earn some kind of distinction for UMT; what makes Salman’s achievement so special is that only two Pakistani students have been selected for this internship and one of them is Salman Khalid, student of UMT. The other student is from NUST.

It is to be noted that Salman Khalid is in the last semester of Electrical Engineering and currently at the top position in his Batch. Apart from this, he is also current Chairman of IEEE student chapter at UMT.

When contacted, Salman Khalid said that he is proud to represent his university internationally. By getting this internship, he has proved that UMT students can compete and win anywhere in the world. He also showed his gratitude to his teachers who guided and helped him out in getting this internship. 

The Daily Dawn (dated Friday, April 12, 2013) has published an article aythored by Ahmad Raza, Research Fellow, Office of rector. The article is titled in Search of Wisdom.

During the last four years, the School of Science and Technology at UMT has made a tremendous growth. As a result, an Engineering School comprising of Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering as well as Department of Electrical Engineering has been setup as a separate independent entity that will offer the PEC Accredited and PEC Permitted engineering programs.

At present, this newly created School of Engineering offers PEC Accredited BS degree in Electrical Engineering, as well as PEC permitted BS degree in Industrial Engineering. In future, School of Engineering is expected to offer PEC Accredited and PEC Permitted degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and in the near future Chemical Engineering. Both departments of Electrical Engineering, and Industrial and Mechanical Engineering have been removed from the Organizational Chart of School of Science and Technology and the website is in the process of being updated to reflect this change.

Dr Salim Abid Tabassum has been appointed effective today, as Dean of School of Engineering. The School of Graduate Studies has always been a separate independent entity, and will continue to function under the direction of Dr Abdul Aziz Bhatti.

Dr Sajjad Haider Shami, professor Department of Electrical Engineering at UMT has been invited as Speaker/Chair of Session 2-7 The Internet of Things: Smart Houses, Smart Traffic, and Smart Health at the upcoming BIT’S 2nd Annual World Congress of Emerging InfoTech 2013. It is an honor for UMT community that Dr Sajjad Haider has been selected as speaker in recognition of his remarkable research achievement in the area of Smart Grid applications.

The 2nd Annual World Congress of Emerging InfoTech 2013, with the theme of ,The World IT Frontier Trends: Challenge and Opportunity, will be held at Dalian World Expo Center, China from June 20 to 22, 2013. It is being held in collaboration with China International Software and Information Service Fair, which is the only state level Software fair approved by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

InfoTech-2013 aims to strengthen the technical and business ties in information technology industries, to bring together experts and industry leaders to share technological advancements and business experiences, and to jointly explore opportunities in emerging information technologies. This congress provides an ideal platform for industrial practitioners and academia to keep up to date with current technology trends, interact with industry experts and network with peers.

A research paper titled” Optimization Methods for Wind Power Economic Dispatch” co-authored by Mashood Nasir, Lecturer, SST and Dr Abdul Aziz Bhatti, Dean, SST, has been accepted for ORAL PRESENTATION in the 2013 IEEE 7th International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO 2013), 3-4 June 2013

Asad ur Rehman Khan, Director Institutional Linkages, presented a souvenir to Muneeb Irfan, Project Area Manager of HBL as a token of gratitude for his efforts and the corporation of HBL management for sponsoring 4th ICTC 2013. The souvenir was presented on behalf of Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT.

On this occasion, Muneeb Irfan expressed HBL’s commitment for sponsoring UMT events in the future as well.  

A research paper titled "Screening of natural herb: Abutilon muticum for chemical constituents and hepatoprotective effects on CCl4 induced hepatitis in rabbits" authored by Dr Sammia Shahid, Assistant Professor, SST, has been accepted for  presentation at the 17th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference organized by the American Chemical Society. The conference will be held in June 18-20, 2013 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, Washington, USA.

The paper abstract is also available online.

Dr Sohail Zafar, Lecturer, SST, has successfully completed his PhD degree in the subject of Mathematics on March 22, 2013 from GC University, Lahore, Pakistan.  His thesis titled "Combinatorial and Artimetic Study of Bionomial Edge Ideal".

Muneeb Irfan, Project Area Manager of HBL visited UMT today and delivered a sponsorship cheque to Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad for the on-going 4th International Conference on Textile and Clothing on behalf of HBL Management. HBL is becoming a strategic partner of UMT and the university is looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with HBL in the coming future. Abid H K Shirwani, Director External Affairs, and Asad Ur Rehman Khan, Director Institutional Linkages, were also present in the meeting.

Develop solutions and strategies to address extremism: Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad

In the interest of interfaith harmony and stepping towards a tolerant society, Center for Global Dialogue, in association with Institute of Islamic Culture, Lahore, and Institute of Communication and Cultural Studies, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, held a national conference: Creating Space for Tolerance in an Age of Extremism, today at the UMT campus. The conference was attended by intellectuals, dignitaries, enlightened members of the general public and students of the University.

In his keynote address, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT, said that extremism is a known menace that is threatening society and weakening our institutions. The way forward is to address it boldly, develop solutions and strategies and figure a way out of the problem.

Dr Hasan said that extremism has different meanings for different people. Generally speaking, people at difference sides of the fence or at opposing ends of the arena have different takes on various issues. Extremism begins when reasoning is compromised, when our ability to rationalize is affected. This leads to various shades of extremism and affects our ability to live with people of diverse views and faith. Sometimes, extremism is a function of power play and extremist tendencies are manifested as a reaction to display of power.

Elaborating the conflict of ideas, Dr Hasan said that the world is a battleground of ideas. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with this contest of ideas. The world’s history is replete with examples of execution of power which has been adopted as the preferred methods to enforce the preferred point of view. However, there are also two features of human society that help to deal with this. One is that people want to live in peace. And the other is the law of moderation which says that a moderate view is always good. It is this aspect of human society that enables it to reach out to diverse segments of society for cross-fertilization of ideas.

Dr Rafia Hasan, Member Board of Governors, Institute of Islamic Culture, said that it is imperative that the spirit of the message of a liberal progressive interpretation of Islam be promoted through positive steps that stop retrogressive forces. She added that this was indeed in keeping with the vision of the Quaid-e-Azam and also of people like Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim whose progressive interpretation of Islam needs to be propagated more widely. She said that she was looking forward to the Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim Memorial Lecture today which is being delivered by a scholar of international repute and standing.

Delivering the Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim Memorial Lecture for the current year, Dr Munawar Anees, Director, Center for Global Dialogue, UMT, spoke on the topic “The Muslim Predicament: between Tolerance and Tyranny”. The debate he said, is profuse with an incipient terminology that includes phrases like permissive relativism and rationalist fundamentalism. This discourse has pitted religion against everything else. Dr Anees said that irrespective of cultural and political manifestation of religious sentiment, religion per se has never been uprooted even by the use of force. Religion remains an integral part of the mass consciousness in the South as well as in the North in spite of the onslaught it has faced from communism and secularism.

On an important note, Dr Anees pointed out that fundamentalism is a Christian term that has Christian connotations and dates back to the 19^th century Princeton theologians. There are no sociological or historical parallels between the fundamentalists and the Muslims. He said that history bears witness to Muslim tolerance. Compare the massacre of 40,000 Muslims in Jerusalem at the hands of the first crusaders with the recapture of Jeruslaem by Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi who shed not a single drop of non-Muslim blood. Even in contemporary times, the citizens of the only Muslim majority country in the heart of Albania write of the rescue of Jews on their territory by Albanians (both Muslims and Christians) during World War II.

He said that the Muslim world today is facing tremendous pressure on account of the post-colonial geo-politics and the Ummah is paying a heavy price for this. Pakistan, the first ever geopolitical entity carved in the name of Islam was torn into two pieces in less than 25 years of its existence. Palestine continues to suffer to this day. Afghanistan lies in ruins. The Islamic world is torn with strife and conflict. And yet people like Bernard Lewis, Danile Pipes and Judith Miller convey that the Islamic world is an enemy of the West. This seems to be a deliberate effort to alienate the Muslim world.

On an important note Dr Anees said that Islam will remain the defining paradigm in the Muslim world. However, the Muslim predicament, no matter, how deep, is not a burden of the West. It is upto the Muslim world to realize that their future lies in their resolve to put their own house in order. Dr Anees reminded the audience that historical evidence favors the view of Muslim fidelity to their religious doctrines. However, the rising intra-Muslim strife, violence against women, sectarian murders, violation of rights of other faith communities, and violence as a political instrument under the guise of Islam are highly disturbing trends that need to be arrested. The universal ideological matrix for compassion, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, harmony and tolerance as enunciated by the Holy Quran and the Prophetic tradition, which depict true Islamic values, must be projected to the outside word.

The event also hosted a multifaith display, Gifts of Faith, where people from different faiths displayed their prayer books for free distribution or offered event-related items. 

The School of Textile and Design at University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, hosted the 4th International Conference on Textile and Clothing (ICTC) 2013 today, at Lahore Expo Center. This conference has brought together renowned conglomerates and experts from UK, Germany, China, and Italy at a single platform to discuss a diverse range of topics such as nano-science in textiles, non-wovens, geo-textiles, conductive textiles, recyclable textiles, etc .

In his welcome address at the opening session of the conference, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT, said that UMT started textile diploma programs in 1992. Today, UMT is offering both graduate and master level textile programs that are being taught using the latest curriculum, best practices, and hands-on learning in the use of modern technology. Dr Hasan said that all programs are based on experiential learning. He added that these programs are so well accepted in the market that the Institute of Textile and Fashion in Faisalabad has introduced the same for its students.

Deliberating on strengthening the textile education in the country, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad was of the view that Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) should also help in registration and facilitation of textile graduates. He advised APTMA representatives to consider setting up a mechanism whereby APTMA itself should accredit textile programs.

Dr Hasan added that UMT textile graduates are working in good positions in the textile industry. This testifies to the industry-driven programs that are taught at the university. He said that textile and related industries’ exports account for $13 billion which is a sizable chunk of the total exports of the country. As such, the textile industry is the backbone of the national economy and all of us should do as much as possible to make it grow.

Sheikh Azhar Majeed, Chairman Arzoo Textile Mills and Vice Chairman Federation of Chambers and Commerce, said that the Pakistani textile industry is facing serious energy crisis. He said that out of a total of 365 days in the year, the industry is operational only for 150 to 180 days. This has had a seriously negative effect on the overall productivity of the textile sector and has contributed to a sharp decrease in the country’s exports. He said that the deteriorating law and order situation in the country is another factor that has had adverse affects. Buyers hesitate to come to Pakistan and have shifted elsewhere.

Sheikh Azhar further said that in past tenures, 7000 km lines were laid for domestic consumers. As thing stand today, 70% of the gas is given to domestic consumers; the rest goes to IPPs and CNG stations and the industry gets only a fraction of the gas. In India, on the contrary, there is no policy for giving gas connections to the domestic consumer. Azhar Majeed said that the total import bill of the country is $ 40 billion while the export bill is $ 25 billion. The 15 billion deficit can be removed if the textile sector is allowed to flourish.

On a positive note, he said that Pakistan has great potential, resources and committed people who can rise up to any challenge. He said that Singapore which is a one-city country with $ 250 billion exports, has reached this stature through the right policies. Pakistan can also revive its economy provided that the right policies are adopted.

He concluded on a special note of appreciation for Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT, who he said has made significant contributions to textile education through the introduction of industry-driven programs. He said that he was deeply impressed by the quality of the programs and the textile laboratory facilities at UMT.
Ahsan Qutb, Fellow, Textile Institute, and Chairman Textile Institute, Pakistan, gave the note of thanks to all the participants, sponsors, exhibitors and textile professionals who had worked hand-in-hand to organize the conference. He said that the collaborative efforts of all of them had made it possible to organize the 4th ICTC 2013.

Chaudhry Usman Ali, Chairman Sandal Group of Industries, said that the dyeing and chemicals industry was set up in Pakistan in 1980 with help from Bayer. He said that today we share 50% production with them and our imports go to countries like Bangladesh, Spain, Italy and Iran. Chaudhry Sahib added that we can reduce our import bill significantly by strengthening this sector of the economy.

At the end, Dr Nabeel Amin, Director, School of Textile and Design at UMT, thanked all the speakers, distinguished guests from the corporate and textile sector, delegates, textile professionals and other dignitaries for gracing the occasion with their presence. He expressed hope that the 3-day event would lead to meaningful exchange of information and ideas that would help in developing the textile industry.

It is worth mentioning that the 4th ICTC 2013 is being held in collaboration with Textile Institute Manchester (TI), UK, (Pakistan Chapter), Society for Dyers and Colorists (SDC), UK, (Pakistan Chapter) and MEGATECH. The aim of the conference is to showcase sustainable products, exploring ways and means of improving exports. The 3-day international conference would remain continue at the Lahore Expo Center from March 28 to March 30, 2013.

In the interest of interfaith harmony and stepping towards a tolerant society, Centre for Global Dialogue, in association with Institute of Islamic Culture, Lahore, and Institute of Communication and Cultural Studies, University of Management and Technology, is holding a national conference: Creating Space for Tolerance in an Age of Extremism on March 28, 2013, at Saleem Asghar Ali Hall, UMT campus. 

The event will also host a multifaith display, Gifts of Faith, where people from different faiths may display their prayer books for free distribution or offer event-related items. If you would like to participate in this venture kindly let us know so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

This conference on extremism postulates these questions to all those who are sensitive towards this inherent friction between common sense realia and conflicting aspirations. We look forward to welcoming you to the National Conference and the Gifts of Faith display.

For details, contact:

Muhammad Sultan
Officer Academics, IIB-UMT
Tel: +92-42 3521-2801-10 Lines
Fax: +92-42 3518-4789
Mobile: +92-324-4920078
Email: muhammad.sultan@umt.edu.pk

After the five years of continuous success University of Management and Technology, (STD) presents 4th International Conference on Textile and Clothing. The conference will be held at Lahore expo centre from 28-30 March 2013. The ICTC 2013 is showcasing sustainable products and exploring ways and means of improving exports. Research papers have been invited from textile professionals and experts from across the globe on major issues affecting the industry. Topics include nano-science in textiles, non-wovens, geo-textiles, conductive textiles, recyclable textiles, enhancement of industrial R & D, textile management and marketing, enhancement of environmental and effluents treatments, new developments in textile machinery, guaranteed energy source, compliance and quality issues.

The ICTC 4 will bring renowned conglomerates experts from UK, Germany, China, Italy and many others are expected to participate in the event.

The University of the Punjab has conferred PhD Degree on Dr Humaira Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Lahore, in the subject of Islamic Studies on March 13, 2013. Her PhD thesis, titled “Modernity, Post modernity and Islamic Tradition” was hailed as a pioneering and trend setting scholarly endeavor from a promising Pakistani scholar.

The thesis explores the challenges facing Islamic scholars in the post modern world through extensive literature review and analysis of the thought systems of both Western and Muslim philosophers and theologians before offering a critical and objective paradigm for future discourse.