Dawood University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Samreen Hussain has said that due to prudent financial management, strategic planning and sustained efforts, the university’s budget is now running in surplus while all key financial indicators, including gratuity, pension and provident funds have been fully updated and restored.
In an exclusive interview with The News, she expressed gratitude to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for extending continuous support to the university administration and facilitating the smooth functioning of institutional affairs.
The VC said that extensive infrastructure development at the university’s main Jinnah Campus had transformed the overall outlook of the institution. She added that all engineering and architecture programmes had now been shifted to Jinnah Campus, whereas Iqbal Campus in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was being developed into a students’ residential and sports facility.
Highlighting recent achievements, Dr Samreen said the establishment of the Sukkur Main Centre for Entrepreneurship, Management and Emerging Technologies, along with the Faculty of Information and Computing Sciences in Gulberg, Karachi, was among the university’s major success stories.
She said these centres were offering modern academic programmes in artificial intelligence, data sciences, cyber security, business and entrepreneurship, adding that the university was now producing not only engineers but also scientists in emerging disciplines.
The DUET VC maintained that all development projects, including new centres and infrastructure expansion, had been completed entirely through the university’s own resources without any financial assistance from the government.
Responding to a question regarding the university’s past challenges, she said the institution’s faculty was now fully active and functioning under an efficient administrative mechanism, and incidents of student clashes had virtually disappeared.
She stated that reforms in the admission policy, prioritisation of merit and the introduction of third-party testing for admissions had significantly reduced student-related complaints. She added that all student societies were active and regularly participating in academic and extracurricular activities.
Discussing financial matters, she said that after she assumed the VC’s post, the administration cleared liabilities exceeding Rs1 billion inherited from the previous management. She added that the pension fund, which had reportedly fallen to zero before her tenure, had also been fully revived.
Replying to another question, she said that around 10 months remained in her tenure as the VC and she was not interested in seeking a second term. She said her primary focus during the remaining period would be to complete all ongoing projects and improve the university’s ranking.
