Peshawar - The 10th meeting of the Senate of the University of Swat was held on Monday, with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, in the chair.
Provincial Minister for Higher Education, Meena Khan Afridi, officials from the Higher Education Department, and other Senate members attended the meeting.
The Annual Report of the University of Swat for the year 2023–24 was presented. The relevant authorities also briefed the meeting on the implementation status of decisions made in previous Senate sessions. The draft of the University of Swat Statutes 2024 was discussed and referred to the relevant committee for further review.
Additionally, the Strategic Plan 2024–30 for the University of Swat was presented. The Chief Minister directed that the plan be sent to the Task Force established within the Higher Education Department for further refinement. He also instructed that all academic departments of public sector universities be included in the scholarship programmes, noting that the provincial government has significantly increased the scholarship fund to benefit a greater number of students.
The Chief Minister emphasized the need for greater investment in university departments with high student enrolment and highlighted the importance of promoting academic disciplines that align with market demand.
Gandapur also directed that a quota be reserved for university graduates in the business loan schemes under the provincial government’s Ehsaas Rozgar Programme, asserting that university graduates are well-positioned to benefit from such opportunities.
He instructed the relevant authorities to take steps to promote the field of Hotel Management at the University of Swat and to propose projects in the next fiscal year’s budget to provide futsal facilities in ten universities across the province. Additionally, he directed the construction of a guesthouse, an auditorium, and an indoor gymnasium in the girls’ hostel at the University of Swat.
The Vice-Chancellor briefed the Senate on the university’s performance over the past three years, stating that 9,059 students are currently enrolled in BS programs, 756 in MPhil and MS programs, and 315 scholars in PhD programs. Moreover, more than 18,000 students are enrolled in colleges affiliated with the university.
The briefing also noted that the University of Swat ranks 10th in the province according to the Times Higher Education ranking. The university has also established linkages with various national and international institutions, the authorities concluded.
