The other day I read Dr. Usmani’s article “From Florida to Topi: A Returning Fulbright Scholar’s Search for an Academic Position” on STEP. I sincerely appreciate his return (to Pakistan), and his desire to serve. However, in discussing Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Dr. Usmani has unintentionally — I am giving him the benefit of the doubt — offended me. He said: “There is a gap in institution building. Most universities in Pakistan are dependent on one person; if that person was removed, the whole institute may collapse. For example, what comes to your mind when we say Dr. Javed Leghari, Dr. Arshad Ali, Dr. Wahab, and Dr. Naveed Malik? SZABIST, NUST SEECS, MAJU, and Virtual University”.
I have been a student at SZABIST for the past 6 years. I obtained my Bachelors degree from this institution, and am currently in the last phase of completing my MBA. In these past six years I’ve spent more hours at SZABIST than at home. So, SZABIST is home for me and, therefore, it’s very dear to me.
I’ve seen the transition from old to the new management. The old management (under Dr. Javaid Laghari) made SZABIST what it is today and the new management is making substantial improvements that were overlooked by the previous management. One example of these improvements is the attention (that the new administration is paying) to research and development. This will not only bring SZABIST to international university standards, but will also provide the nation with breakthrough technologies and solutions.
As a student, I’ve extensively benefited from the research and development work taking place at SZABIST. It gave me the opportunity to become an academician and utilize my potentials to the utmost. So, it would be naïve to say that SZABIST was dependent on Dr. Javaid Laghari, and in his absence the university would collapse. If SZABIST was a “one-man show”, as Dr. Usmani suggests, then it would have not survived, let alone thrived, after the departure of Dr. Laghari. It would have collapsed by now! But we don’t see any debris, do we?
Instead, we see SZABIST with multiple, diverse disciplines and fully functional R & D. The reigns of SZABIST are in the right hands and, insha’Allah, very soon some great projects from SZABIST will materialize, making this institution a novelty among Pakistan’s top universities.
Finally, I would like to make an earnest request to all the authors, journalists, essayist, columnist and such to verify information in their articles before submitting for publishing.
Jaya S. Loungani
Research Officer, MEPIC Study Center,
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi
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Does this mean no body can have a right to say his mind , I hope you should change the attitude in SZABIST and would appreciate other comments, it was just his views I think , and should react in proactive manner not in reactive.
“Confirming the facts” are you kidding me. Ok confirm this. “SZABIST may collapse after departure of dr leghari”. And you will obviously say NO. NOT at All
And then I still think it might happen.
How can you control what others think. We should give freedom of speech to everyone and we have to stop bashing whatever we don’t like to hear
Grow up
I don’t understand why this hullabaloo if someone from SZABIST has shared her opinion. Isn’t it what all we want. Freedom of speech. Ofcourse Dr. Usmani has a right to speak his mind so do others. We must have tolerance to listen to other’s point of view that challenges our opinion. Are the opinions based on whims and wishes? It would have been much better to the understanding of the readers had Dr. Usmani mentioned something atleast something on the bases of which he had made this opnion about not one but 4 institutes of Pakistan that they may collapse if such and such personalities left these institutes. So the point is everyone has a right to make his or her opinion but in the free world everyone has a right to ask for the basis of such opinion? Is it too much to demand in a free democratic society?
Szabist will not collapse because every1 is working to build it stronger…
the old management got it soo far…and it wasnt easy…
n the new management will take it further to heights…
And the Students of SZABIST of stand together holding hands…
“R SUCCESS WILL BE SZABIST’s SUCCESS”
Well, if we really respect the freedom of speech then let me share with you that I have found about SZABIST is that it is not progressing anymore, quite a few permanent and good faculty members have already switched to other institutes due to new management and the quality of standard is on the decline…