Speakers Highlight Importance of 2nd SMIU Global Research Congress
The speakers, at the inauguration ceremony of the 2nd SMIU Global Research Congress, held at Sindh Madressatul Islam University on Wednesday, said the nations of the world were facing many challenges including environmental change, poverty, social issues and terrorism at regional as well as at the world level, therefore, we have to collectively overcome these challenges and research scholars should find solutions of the issues through their research.
Chairman, Higher Education Commission Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed congratulated Vice Chancellor of SMIU Dr Mujeeb Sahrai and his team for organising the most valuable Global Research Congress and said that he was delighted and honoured to be participating in the congress.
Addressing the inaugural session via video link said this congress is a very important initiative because Consul Generals of the two best friendly countries of Pakistan China and Turkiye are participating in it along with other foreign speakers, hence we all have to think about the collective solutions to the challenges being faced by the humanity.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said this Congress is the most important initiative in the life and history of SMIU. These congresses are providing opportunities to learners, researchers, faculty and students. Also, the participants who are coming from different areas and countries learn from each other’s experiences, knowledge and research work. Apart from this, the congress will establish a network between the participating scholars to work together in future.
The HEC Chairman hoped that the congress would end up with a roadmap that how could we collaborate with each other in different areas. He advised the Vice Chancellor of SMIU that he should share the roadmap and findings of the congress with the HEC as they could develop a strategy for development of the higher education and society.
Dr Mujeeb Sahrai, Vice Chancellor of SMIU in his speech welcomed the guests who came from Russia, USA, UK, Vietnam, UAE and other parts of the country to participate in the 2nd SMIU Global Research Congress.
Speaking on the background of holding Global Research Congress the vice chancellor said that it was the idea and dream of the young and dynamic faculty of SMIU to organise the Congress with five international conferences last year.
He said that as he always believed in the confidence of youth, so they organised the successful 1st Global Research Congress last year. This is the second edition that has attracted a large number of scholars across Pakistan and abroad than the previous congress.
Dr. Sahrai said this Global Research Congress is a brand of Sindh Madressatul Islam University in Pakistan, thus it will produce good results that will benefit to the nation and the country as well as at the global level. He further said that SMIU is moving forward in research work and it is publishing 6 research journals which are recognized by the HEC Pakistan.
Also SMIU’s research output by faculty has increased a lot. The vice chancellor said that he is a researcher and preacher, hence this conference will come up with a certain output as we are organising six international conferences as well. Therefore, its findings will be shared with all stakeholders nationally and internationally.
In his speech, Consul General of China in Karachi Yang Yundong, especially mentioned the brotherly relations of Pakistan and China. He said in 2017, China's first university launched the Pakistan-China Corridor, but today 16 Chinese universities are affiliated with Pakistani universities, some of them are also teaching Urdu language. He said China is cooperating with Pakistan in many fields, including global warming. CPEC is also a comprehensive plan for better relations between the two countries, which is being further improved.
The Consul General of Turkiye in Karachi Cemal Sangu said that Turkiye has a very historic and emotional connection with Sindh Madressatul Islam as Sultan Abdul Hameed of the Ottoman Empire had given two highest civil titles of Turkiye to Sindh Madressatul Islam’s founder Hassanally Effendi and that were “Bey” and “Effendi by recognizing his services for modern education in Sindh and support to Turkiye in the war with Russia.
He said that they shall built a mausoleum of Hassanally Effendi in Hyderabad Sindh soon. The Turkish Consul General said the Global Research Congress will play a significant role in promotion of the research in Pakistan and other countries.
The Secretary of Universities and Boards, Government of Sindh Noor Ahmed Samo, in his speech, said that it is a unique and different Global Research Congress in its theme, hence certainly it will share actionable recommendations to the government of Sindh for their implementation.
He congratulated the vice chancellor, and faculty of SMIU for organising such huge congress. He said that being a representative of the Sindh Government, Sindh is the only province in Pakistan that understands value of higher education more than other provinces of the country.
He said the provincial government of Sindh allocates 23 billion rupees as a grant for 29 public sector universities and about 12 billion rupees for their development schemes, on the contrary, the government of Punjab allocates only 5 billion rupees for its universities.
Earlier, the 2nd SMIU GRC was inaugurated by Consul General of China Yang Yundong, Consul General of Turkiye Cemal Sangu, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University Dr Mujeeb Sahrai, Secretary Universities and Boards Noor Ahmed Samo, Russian scholar Dr. Solnyshkina Marian Ivanovna, American scholar Prof. Dr. Keith, UK Scholar Dr. Shajara Ul Durar and others by lighting a globe. On this occasion, the vice chancellor of SMIU gave away souvenirs to the guests.
Ms. Quratulain Nazeer, Assistant Professor at SMIU and the member of CEC of SMIU GRC-2024, conducted the proceedings.