Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology

Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology
TypePublic
Established17 September 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-17)
AffiliationHEC[1]
ChairmanGovernor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
RectorMohammad Mujahid
DeanArshad Hussain
Students5,000[2]
Location
Haripur, Pakistan

33°54′31.34″N 72°55′3.26″E / 33.9087056°N 72.9175722°E / 33.9087056; 72.9175722
CampusRural
Websitehttp://www.paf-iast.edu.pk

Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (abbreviated as PAF IAST) is a public science and technology university located in Mang, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The institute focuses on artificial intelligence, railway engineering, nanotechnology, mineral resources and agricultural technologies.[3] It is the first foreign engineering university in Pakistan and is located about 40 miles from the capital of the country, Islamabad.[4][5]

History

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In 2005, Atta-ur-Rahman, who was the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (Pakistan) at the time, presented and secured approval of a Rs250 billion project to establish seven universities centred around Engineering, Science and Technology in collaboration with China and several European countries. These universities were intended to improve the Higher Education sector in Pakistan so as to enable its young population to take part in the global technology sector.[6]

The Chairman was able to enlist the support of two Austrian scholars (Bernd Michael Rode and A Min Tjoa) through his personal contacts, who played a crucial role in the collaboration between the two countries and the establishment of the institute.[6] Three Austrian and five Chinese universities are part of the collaboration.[7][5]

The foundation stone of the institute was laid on 7 May 2016, by the then Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak.[8]

The institute was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan on 17 September 2020.[9]

Campus

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The university is located in a rural, mountainous area and has a naturally formed lake in the middle of campus.[10]

The university has on-campus Wi-Fi, labs, auditoriums, a standard library with cubicles for group discussions and hostels for residential students. For sports and recreation, there are jogging tracks, two grounds for football and cricket, along with badminton and volleyball courts.[11]

Collaborations

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In late 2020 a memorandum of understanding was established between Peshawar Zalmi Foundation and PAF-IAST for skill development and training.[12]

In 2023, the institute and Chengdu University in China launched a joint Mechanical Engineering Technology programme, two years will be spent at the institute in Pakistan and two years will be spent at Chengdu University.[13]

In 2024, a higher education delegation from the United Kingdom visited PAF-IAST for the formation of an international collaboration to "enrich academic experiences and drive innovation in both nations".[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur". Higher Education Commission. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ "PAK-Austria Fachhochschule IAST | Partner university at MCI". www.mci.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  3. ^ Correspondent, Our (2020-09-17). "Recovered graft money to be spent on education: PM". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-07-08. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "A visionary project". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  5. ^ a b "Science and technology in Pakistan". Muso. 2023-08-19. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  6. ^ a b "History". PAF IAST. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  7. ^ "Prime Minister Imran Khan launches Pakistan-Austria institute to promote science and technology education". gulfnews.com. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  8. ^ Rasheed, Mohsin (2017-02-01). "25 Doctoral Candidates of Pak-Austria Institute Selected For Two-Years Training in Austria". PakWired. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  9. ^ "PM Imran inaugurates Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute in Haripur". Daily Pakistan Global. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  10. ^ "Our Green Campus". PAF IAST. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  11. ^ "Facilities". PAF IAST. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  12. ^ Hussainy, Faizanullah (2020-11-24). "MoU signed between Zalmi Foundation and Pak Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology". Hamariweb. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  13. ^ "PAF-IAST and Chinese University to jointly launch BSc technology program". PakistanToday. August 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Higher education team explores transnational collaboration". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
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