Prof Ikramullah Khawaja highlights virtues of teaching as profession

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Prof Ikramullah Khawaja, a former President of Youngtown State University, Ohio, USA, has called for a strong relationship between teachers and students, adding that good students cannot be produced without good teachers.

He stated this while delivering a lecture on ‘Teaching as a Profession’ at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi,where he was invited by its Chancellor Jawaid Anwar. 

“I feel an inner delight as a teacher when I see a student to have achieved success in his/her objective,” the distinguished visitor stated while addressing the faculty and students giving out his vast experience in teaching of over four decades. 

Prof. Ikramullah described teaching as his passion and said that keeping this background in view he established an Islamic Chair at the Youngtown State University and it was due to his sole efforts that this university is making 50 percent funding of this Chair while rest by the community. 

He called upon the students not to go for any field which is pursued by popularly others but adopt the field in which they think they can achieve excellence. 

Earlier the Chancellor Jawaid Anwar welcomed and introduced the eminent guest and narrated his experience as role model for the faculty members of SSUET. He also shared his views about teaching and said “a best teacher is the person who always makes his students agile”. 

He pointed out that in the era of twenty first century where technology is advancing in every field of life. He is of firm belief that our teachers can transform our students’ mind more innovative, productive and creative. 

He highly appreciated Prof Ikramullah Khawaja for his experiences in the academic and teaching professions and said these would be of immense benefit for our university.

In his remarks on the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi highlighted the role of SSUET in the promotion of engineering and said its Board of Governors include prominent figures like Dr A.Q. Khan, Dr Ata-ur- Rahman and others. 

He recalled that starting with two technologies, the university today has 10 technologies and plans are afoot to introduce some more in near future besides offering Masters and Ph.D programs. He informed that starting with 200 students in 1994 some 14,000 engineers have passed out from the SSUET. 

He also spoke about the facilities being provided by the university like scholarships, benevolent fund, financial assistance besides having quality enhancement cell, career planning department and others. 

The Director Quality Enhancement Cell and Faculty Development said that QEC is proud to have started its journey by inviting distinguished scholar Prof Ikramullah Khawaja. He said that the QEC has been established for the purpose of development of Quality of Faculty and Students. 

On the occasion, Dean Faculty of Engineering, Prof Dr S M Makhdumi proposed the vote of thanks and particularly referred to Prof Ikramullah’s remarks about teaching as passion and teacher-student relationship.