Day: January 31, 2011

ASMA GHANI

ISLAMABAD — Eight-day training workshop on “Women in Leadership and Management in Higher Education” for the female students and faculty members held to develop a network of trained and confident professional women to equipped them to collaborate extensively across the country.

The National University of Science & Technology (NUST) had organised the workshop in collaboration with Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) and Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

The aim of the workshop was to develop a network of highly trained and confident professional women who would be equipped to collaborate extensively across the country, to draw on each other’s strengths, strengthen each other’s weaknesses and together introduce such other initiatives that will help embed gender equitable practices in their universities.

The workshop helped investigate the concepts, issues and practices of ‘women and academic leadership’, ‘women and governance in higher education’, ‘developing management skills’, and ‘women research and generating resources’. The closing ceremony of the workshop was held on Sunday at NUST.

Dr Nafisa Shah, Chairperson National Commission on Human Development who was the chief guest at the ceremony, said there was a world outside the universities and educational institutions, which depicted a depressing scenario of women’s conditions. She said only 29 per cent of women in the country can read and write and the rest of the population of women is engaged in labour work and household jobs.

She said access of women to country resources is limited and gender based violence is one of the reasons which hinder their participation in socio-economic sphere. Women need to be supported for their active participation in all spheres of life and such trainings are of great importance in enhancing their skills for managerial and leadership positions.

Engineer Muhammad Asghar, Rector of NUST, speaking on the event said 21st century is a century of knowledge, awareness and information about the happenings around the world. Response of markets around the world can be changed within hours and even minutes and mass revolt can destabilise the entire political structure. He said nobody could befool the masses anymore, as the younger generation is far more informed than old people.

He was of the view that “managing of higher education institutions is a big challenge as we have to focus on not only learning and research but also make sure that our graduates have relevant knowledge and skills and create jobs through entrepreneurship rather seeking jobs for themselves”.

Universities and the higher education leaders must therefore be dynamic enough to adjust to the changing higher education landscape that will ultimately produce knowledge-based economy, he added.

Prof. Dr. Saeeda Asadullah Khan, Vice Chancellor of FJWU, briefing about the workshop said workshop demonstrated that how teams and networks come into being and operate effectively, such networking is essential for sustainable work.

The programme helped participants develop strategies that can bring sustainable change for themselves and for the status of women in higher education institutions in their country.

Ms Dorothy Garland, Director Professional Networks, ACU, also spoke on the occasion. In the end, the chief guest presented the certificates to the participants of the workshop.

Source: The Nation

Date:1/31/2011

SUKKUR: A woman was killed by her husband on the pretext of karo-kari in Haibat Bajkani village near Kandhkot on Sunday.

Shahid Dino Bajkani had been suspecting that his wife Luddi had illicit relations with a man. He shot her dead in their house.

Police took the body to Civil Hospital Kandhkot and, after post-mortem, handed it over to relatives.

No case was registered.

In Hyderabad: A woman was found dead in her house in Lala Quarters in the Tando Yusuf area on Sunday.

According to police, Ms Waziyat, 27, had been shot dead. Her husband Abdul Pathan said that he was in bathroom when he heard gunshots. When he came out, he saw Amir Pathan fleeing from the house.

Police termed the killing mysterious and said that the woman was earlier allegedly kidnapped by Amir Pathan and, after recovery, was sent to Darul Aman from where she was handed over to her husband. On Saturday, police said, her husband informed police that his wife had gone missing.

No FIR has been lodged so far.

Source: Dawn

Date:1/31/2011

RAWALPINDI: Dr Nafisa Shah, chairperson of National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), on Sunday called for increasing women`s participation in all walks of life, especially in higher education institutions.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the workshop on “Women in Leadership and Management in Higher Education”, she said it is high time for Pakistan to promote women in leadership roles.

The workshop was held at the National University of Science & Technology (Nust) in collaboration with the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) and the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). She said colleges and universities need teachers to bring out leadership qualities in women.

The workshop`s aim was to develop a network of highly trained and confident professional women equipped to collaborate extensively across the country and draw on each other`s strengths to introduce initiatives to help embed gender equitable practices in their universities.

The workshop discussed women in academic leadership and their role in research and generating resources. The participants also discussed how teams are made and how networks are formed, highlighting the role of networking.

Prof Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan, vice chancellor FJWU, said in the globalised world of the 21st century, women of developing countries were in danger of becoming more and more marginalised unless they acquire new skills and knowledge. She said the universities all over the world were facing management challenges, but at the same fascinating new opportunities were cropping up for women.

“The continuing under representation of women at senior levels of higher education sector is receiving renewed attention,” she said, adding that the world was realising the importance of women as managers and leaders.

Dorothy Garland, director professional networks ACU, was impressed by the “ideas and initiatives” discussed at the workshop. “What you will be achieving individually and together will not only begin to transform the norms and expectations relating to the leadership and management of higher education in Pakistan but will also be contributing to the much broader, Commonwealth-wide endeavors to ensure that our universities and, in turn, our communities are enriched by the more equal participation of women and men at all levels of the higher education hierarchy,” she said.

Engineer Mohammad Asghar, Rector Nust, said only those with knowledge and awareness would excel in the 21st century. “We have to show the younger generation the Sirat-e-Mustaqeem and in meeting this challenge, dedicated commitment is required from educationists and academicians.” He said knowledge, skills and motivation were the core requirements for success.

Source: Dawn

Date:1/31/2011