University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, Pakistan

In line with the instructions of HEC to enhance the enrollment and those of the Government to take the higher education facilities to the doorstep of people in less developed areas, the UET Taxila planned to establish four sub campuses in Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock districts and New Muree. The Chancellor of the university ordered to start two sub campuses in Jhelum and Chakwal districts in the f irst phas e. The university with the approval of the Chancellor, selected two sites at P.D. Khan (district Jhelum) and Balkasar (district Chakwal), where land pieces of 1720 kanal and 937 kanal were acquired for the establishment of the respective sub campuses. Meanwhile, t he District Government Chakwal provided old Kachehri premises located in the heart of Chakwal city, on 99 y ears lease, for immediate start of classes and the university started classes of Electronics and Mechatronics engineering there in 2005. The Government Postgraduate College Chakwal, located in the neighbor of sub campus, extended the facilities of sports grounds and a small hostel and the two leading industries of the area DG Cement and Best ways Cement committed to donate Rs . 25 Million each for this project. An academic block, shown in the picture above, was constructed with this contribution. Two batches of Electronics and Mechatronics engineering have passed out so far from the sub campus Chakwal and it is a matter of satisfaction that both are accreditated by the Pakistan Engineering Council.

In t he startup phase the shortage of faculty and lab facilities at the sub campus were compensate d by the visiting faculty from the main campus and the conduction of experiments in the labs of Taxila campus. However now the sub campus has a reasonably qualified faculty of its own and utilization of the services of visiting faculty has been reduced to minimum. Also the library and laboratory facilities have been upgraded, new book sand state of the art laboratory equipment has been added and some is on order.

Presently only a few lab experiment s are being conducted at the main campus labs. The curriculum and academic infrastructure has been upgraded as per PEC requirement sand the students of the sub campus are taking active part in various academic and extra curricular activities. A number of student societies are functioning to engage the students in healthy activities and to exhibit life in the sub campus premises . The faculty and students of the sub campus Chakwal have to find residential facilities in the rental property of the city and they are less comfortable than their counterparts at the main campus, however they have more chances of interaction with the people of the area and hence they are relatively more social and confident.
Students and the relatively young faculty of the Chakwal campus work together as a well motivated and disciplined team and they are very enthusiastic to earn respect and honor for their institution.

The Vice Chancellor and the university administration have all out support for the up gradation and uplift of the sub campus facilities and programs. Projects for providing the necessary infrastructure, including student hostels and faculty accommodation at Balkasar campus site, are being initiated and funding from the government is being sought to start new academic programs in emerging disciplines.