Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Federal Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Mr John Groarke, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director, inaugurated a state-of-the-art research center for energy at National University of Sciences and Technology here on Monday.
Speaking at the event, the federal minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, expressed his appreciation over the assistance of American government and people, saying: “The provision of better-equipped research facilities with assistance from the US government is a testimony to our continued efforts and commitment to improving the quality of education in Pakistan and addressing the energy issues facing it.â€
Highlighting the United States’ long-term commitment to strengthen Pakistan’s education sector and help find practical solutions for the country’s energy challenges, Mission Director Mr Groarke said, “These new buildings will house academic programs that will help shape the future of Pakistan and set new standards for the success of both women and disadvantaged youth, especially in the energy engineering profession.â€
Expressing his views at the launch, Lt Gen Naweed Zaman (Retd), Rector NUST,said that the role of USAID in the promotion of education is admirable. He observed that the center would help produce 250 skilled graduates by 2019 which will be a great boost to the energy sector in Pakistan. He hoped that the state-of-the-art facilities of this Centre would add value to the existing academic and applied research culture of NUST.
It may be mentioned here that the research centre has been constructed with the support of US Government. The new four-storey, 60,000-square-foot building includes five classrooms, eight high-tech energy laboratories, a seminar hall, conference rooms, a library, multiple office spaces, and elevator access for the handicapped.
This initiative is part of USAID’s larger $127 million investment that will harness applied research to find innovative solutions for Pakistan’s energy, water, agriculture, and food security challenges.
