University of Karachi’s Urdu department to hold international conference on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The department of Urdu of the University of Karachi, with the collaboration of the Anjuman Tariqqi Urdu and Higher Education Commission (HEC) will be organizing an international conference to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan from October 16 to 18. 

The central theme of the conference will be focused on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s contribution to literature, culture and history of South Asia. 

The department of Urdu of the University of Karachi, under its dynamic chairperson, Prof Dr Tanzeem-ul-Firdous, has taken up the initiative of holding a mega event to pay tribute to the multi-faceted personality of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who is credited to have played the lead role in the reawakening of the Muslims of South Asia. 

The three-day international conference will throw light on the monumental contributions of the legendary scholar and educationist who changed the mindset and the thinking of the Muslims, successfully persuading them to take to modern system of education. 

During the conference, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s role in the promotion of Urdu literature will also be discussed while a few speakers will present papers on his legendary services to the field of education. 

It’s in the fitness of things that the department of Urdu, having a prominent position in the University of Karachi for research, has chosen to take part in the 200th birth anniversary celebrations of the great Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in a befitting manner. Over 75 scholars of the department have already completed their Ph.D. research programme while about a dozen projects were in progress. 

Historically the department had come into existence way back in 1955 when the University of Karachi decided to organize postgraduate classes in Urdu under its own management instead of through the colleges. 

At the time of its establishment, Moulvi Abdul Haq, ‘Baba-e-Urdu’ was designated as honorary Professor and the Chairman of the department while the teaching responsibilities were carried out by the teachers of local colleges. 

Later Dr Ghulam Mustafa Khan, a prominent scholar and Professor at Urdu College Karachi, was appointed both as a cooperative teacher and as the Chairman of the department. In the same year, Dr Abul Lais Siddiqui was appointed as a Reader and Chairman and Dr Abdul Qayyum, Dr Syed Shah Ali, and Qudratullah Fatimi joined as lecturers. 

Dr Syed Abul Khair Kashfi, Dr Farman Fatehpure, Dr Aslam Farrukhi, Prof Jameel Akhtar Khan, Dr Haneef Fauq, Dr Younus Hasni, Shamim Ahmed, Prof Sahar Ansari, Dr Vaqar Ahmed Rizvi, Dr Sidiqa Arman, Dr Moinuddin Aqeel and Dr Zafar Iqbal feature among famous academics to have been associated with the Urdu department of the University of Karachi.