FUUAST MAGAZINE

Pakistan is among the richest countries in the world, but also suffers from a poor economy.  It was January 2008, a relatively cold morning in Dubai. I was walking on Shaikh Zayed Road after parking my car about 300 meters from the meeting point with my client. I stopped suddenly before Crown Plaza upon hearing a Pakistani labourer arguing with a guy, claiming that UAE was not a rich country. I went up to the gentleman and said “Khan Sahab are you crazy? You are standing on Shaikh Zayed Road, the heart of Dubai and you are saying that this country is not rich?” He smiled and responded with a statement that I can never forget. He asked me to ignore all the big buildings, the infrastructure and the trade and then see what the country really had to offer. These days I have been reading articles on the forthcoming budget and Pakistan’s economy. Being an analyst I am also involved in debates on VAT, capital gain tax and other technical issues. But I am still intrigued by Khan Sahab...

Previous days I was going through some portals, I found an Interesting article regarding career as a Business Analyst. Although the Article was not written being in Pakistani Corporate context but still helpful for the people want to join the career as a Business Analyst. Josiah Pradhan, finance lead, Europe, at One HSBC, explains the qualities you'll need to succeed in this position – and why it's a role worth striving for. The role of a business analyst may vary from company to company, but in each case the main task is to provide information that helps senior managers to make key decisions. Business analysts need to differentiate between financial reporting and management information. It's crucial not to get too bogged down in reconciling numbers to the nth degree, so you shouldn't be afraid of forecasting. For example, if a forecast is 90 per cent right but timely, it will add more value than 100 per cent accurate data provided 10 days later. The ability to co...

The Editor, Time Magazine Dear Editor, I recently returned from a charitable trip to Pakistan, whereby I visited both Karachi and Islamabad. I spoke with several universities, key businesses, prominent business leaders and several religious people   from all generations…. On the day I returned to the office, someone had placed your magazine (January 16, 2012), on my desk. I read with interest your article on Karachi and the city in doom. For a person to have just returned from the very same place that your magazine described was somewhat bizarre, so I read with great detail your  writer (Andrew Marshall’s) account. Let me begin by saying that I often flick through your magazine and find the articles of great interest, but on this particular day and this particular article, I found certain comments to be both one sided and indeed very negative. I say that because I saw a different Pakistan to what was portrayed in your article. I do not and will not comment on the p...

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy the first Pakistani that earned Oscars Nomination through her Documentary film "Saving Face". The film chronicles the life of a British Pakistani plastic surgeon who donates his time to heal acid victims in Pakistan. The film also documents the journey of these women who come to terms with the violence in their lives and how they fight against all odds to learn to live again. This documentary closely follows the survivors of acid burn attacks and the role of parliamentarians that are actively involved in passing legislation against the attackers.  Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is an Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker. Her films include PAKISTAN'S TALIBAN GENERATION, which aired on PBS, Channel 4, CBC, SBS and Arte and was the recipient of theAlfred I Dupont Award as well as The Association for International Broadcasting award. Sharmeen has made over a dozen-multi award winning films in over 10 countries around the world and is the first non-American ...

Virtual University of Pakistan has always been committed to “education  for all” and from its very inception, pursued an open policy regarding  delivery methodology and services. In continuation of this, the  University has launched its Open Course Ware (OCW) Web Portal, which  provide free and open contents to everyone over the globe. This  digital publication of high quality educational material contains  courses contents, overview, handouts, lesson videos, reference books,  related links and assignments etc. The VU Open Courseware website can  be visited at http://ocw.vu.edu.pk VU is now a member of 'OpenCourseWareConsortium', it is a worldwide community of hundreds of higher education institutions and associated organizations committed to advancing OpenCourseWare and its impact on global education. We serve as a resource for starting and sustaining OCW projects, as a coordinating body for the movement on a global scale, and as a f...

NBEAC is a sub authority of HEC as Higher Education Commission has been authorized in article 3 Sub-Section (e) to set up national or regional evaluation council or authorize any existing, council or similar body to carry out accreditation of Institutions including their departments, faculties and disciplines by giving them appropriate rating. The purpose of NBEAC is to assure quality in Business Administration/ Public Administration/ Management Sciences degree programs according to the proposed accreditation in educational institutions. It requires a program to meet certain defined standards or criteria.The accreditation is for specific degree programs and not for the institutions.Moreover, accreditation is not to be confused with certi...

STUDENTS enrolled in MS/M.Phil can take either thesis or course work to complete the programme. Previously, the Higher Education Commission had made the thesis mandatory for those M.Phil students who intend to take admission in PhD. This information was incorporated in the document containing minimum criteria for M.Phil/PhD programmes and posted on the HEC website. Subsequently, this clause was removed on the document in question but no formal notification to this effect has been issued by the HEC. This has left ambiguity all around. While some universities are offering admission in PhD programmes to those students who opted for course work instead of thesis, others are not doing the same. This ambiguity could have been avoided had the HEC followed the established procedure of amending a policy document through proper notification. HEC authorities are requested to clarify the position and if thesis is not compulsory, then universities may be advised not to refuse admissio...

After massive road infrastructure development in Karachi during the nine years of Musharraf’s tenure, a relief was somehow provided to the city where provisions of transport facilities have always remained a major issue. And despite all public pressures and the struggle of the elected nominees of the metropolitan, recommendations of traffic experts, number of traffic development projects could not be materialised so far, and the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway is one of them. With the passage of time, transport issues have once again cropped up in the city as all important areas of the city are facing the problems of traffic gridlocks, congestion, wastage of fuel, time and energy, parking, lack of public transport etc. The absence of parking areas and acute massive encroachment on main streets, service roads, and footpaths passing through all big and small commercial hubs, markets and bazaars in the city create massive hurdles in the flow of smooth traffic. Traffic gridlocks ca...