April, 2011 Newsletter Vol: 3 Issue: 4 74 students awarded certificates on securing positions in Spring and Fall 2010 semesters at Campus certificates were awarded to 74 students who secured positions in Spring and Fall 2010 semesters. The ceremony was attended by the position holders, their parents, Heads of Departments, faculty and staff. In his speech, the Rector emphasized the importance of nation building and urged upon students to work hard to be able to play their due role in overcoming the tough challenges faced by the country these days. Rector FAST-NU, Dr. Amir Muhammed is addressing parents at certificate He congratulated the parents and awarding ceremony held at Lahore Campus wished students success in their future A ceremony to award Certificates Lahore campus. Rector, FAST-NU endeavors. The ceremony was of Academic Achievements was held Dr. Amir Muhammed graced the concluded with a group photograph of on March 26, 2011 at FAST-NU, ceremony as Chief Guest. The the position holders with the Rector.

FAST-NU Islamabad Campus students win E Ericsson - PTA Excellence Award Muhammad Bilal Junaid and Talha the traditional mobile content areas of entertainment, social Shabib Ahmed, final year students of experience. It aimed to reward the best networking/online communities and BS (Telecom) at FAST-NU were mobile content development in the location based service. conferred E Ericson – PTA Mobile Excellence Award for their exemplary efforts in developing a SMS SPAM Interceptor application under the Supervision of Dr. Mudassar Farooq. The award-giving ceremony was attended by Mrs. Ewa Björling, Minster of Trade of Sweden, a high level Swedish business delegation visiting , Dr. Mohammad Yaseen, Chairman PTA, Mohsen Tavakol, President of Ericsson Pakistan, and senior management of the company. E Ericsson - PTA Mobile Excellence Award 2010 was launched in September 2010 to honor students who have developed the most innovative user generated or professionally produced content that engages the mobile user and enhances Winners of Award with Swedish Trade Minister, Mrs. Ewa Björling April, 2011 FAST-NU Islamabad Campus wins Quiz SMART Project wins Silver Medal at 26th IEEEP All Competition in SOFTCOM-2010 at GIKI Pakistan Student Seminar students namely Khalid Usman, The 26th IEEEP All Pakistan Aqeel Haider, Abdul Sattar and Faisal Student Seminar was held at Pakistan Abbas were able to spectacle their Naval College of Engineering knowledge and stood first in the Quiz (PNEC), NUST, Karachi on March Competition. 03, 2011. Two groups from final year This event was attended by over batch of CS-07 presented their 300 engineering students from respective research papers in the various universities across Pakistan. s e m i n a r a m o n g s t 3 0 o t h e r It has evolved into a platform presentations from all over the that inspires innovative ideas, country. The top six papers were solutions and generates immense awarded medals. FAST-NU Islamabad Campus sense of positive competition. The SMART project team of team participated in SOFTCOM- The event was targeted at students FAST-NU Islamabad Campus, 2010 and won the Quiz Competition in the field of Computer Science and represented by Ms. Mahwash which was organized by the Ghulam Software Development. Makhdoom, Sana Aslam and Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) from Various competitions included Madeeha Khan, presented their work November 5 to 7, 2010. Speed Programming, Quiz, Software entitled 'Semantic Based Multimedia FAST-NU, Islamabad team Development and Poster Design. Analysis and Retrieval' and won the “Shivon” having four undergraduate silver medal. It was a tough competition dominated by over 80 papers from Maryam Arshad selected in Pakistan electronics, robotics and AI related project papers from more than 10 top Young Leaders Conference in the UK universities of Pakistan, including Maryam Arshad of BBA (Batch February 2011 at Convention Center NUST, GIKI, Bahria, UET and 08) FAST-NU Peshawar was one of Islamabad. Mehran. Ms Qurat ul Ain from the the eight students selected from all same batch also presented her work over Pakistan to represent FAST-NU entitled,'Ontology driven Information and Pakistan at the University of Extraction from the Holy Qur'an Oxford (UK) in Pakistan Young related Documents' which was Leaders Conference (11th to 13th warmly appreciated by the panel of February, 2011). PYLC is NUPSA's judges and audience alike. flagship event, hosted this year by Oxford University Pakistan Society. FAST-NU Rector attends The conference aimed to gather Roundtable Discussion 200 students from all over the UK Rector FAST-NU Dr. Amir (besides the eight from Pakistan) Muhammed attended the Roundtable where they were asked to discuss vital Discussion on Agriculture and Water issues relating to Pakistan, such as Maryam Arshad during Pakistan in Pakistan in Islamabad on March 8- religious extremism, women Young Leaders Conference in UK 9. The roundtable discussion was led empowerment, importance of by the Planning Commission with the democracy, minority rights, disaster support of the World Bank. The Food management in flood relief efforts etc. and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Not only did Maryam enthusiastically The Royal Netherlands Embassy and participate in her respective USAID were also co-sponsors of the committee (Education) but brought roundtable discussion. laurels back home by being the best Dr. Amir Muhammed chaired the delegate. session 'Managing Agricultural Her success maneuvered her Productivity (Part-I). He also summed position in NUPSA further ahead up the session after presentations by when she was later asked to chair the the national and international Education Committee for PYLC Pakistani students with Pakistan researchers and the general discussion Pakistan held from 25th to the 27th of High Commisionar in London on the topic. April, 2011 FAST-NU to maintain Alumni Directory FAST-NU would maintain Alumni Directory of its graduates spread all over the world to provide a common platform to enhance interaction among them. Those alumni of FAST- NU who want their names to be included in the Directory, may send their contact details especially, designation, company name, salary package and email address to the Registrar, FAST-NU, Dr. Mohammad FAST-NU VOICE Team at ‘Qutab Minar’ Delhi and Wagah Border Latif Virk, at his email address - r e g i s t r a r @ n u . e d u . p k o r t h e university’s website www.nu.edu.pk .

Saif Ullah wins Salik Tayyab scholarship Dr. Amir Muhammad for year 2010-11 presented shield by UAF The FAST-NU Lahore Campus The students of Batch of 2004 of Dr. Amir Muhammed, Rector, administration has declared Mr. Saif FAST-NU Lahore Campus have FAST-NU was presented a shield for Ullah (Batch 2010) of Electrical created a financial aid package to his lifetime achievements in the Engineering Department as the winner honour their friend Salik Tayyab who inaugural session of 'Alumni Meet' of Salik Tayyab Scholarship for the died on May 13, 2007. held on March 16, 2011 in connection year 2010-11. The financial package is awarded with Golden Jubilee Celebrations of The cheque amounting to to a deserving student every year University of Agriculture, . The Rector also chaired the International Seminar on 'Vision for Pakistan's Agriculture: Challenges and Options' and shared his lifelong experiences and research in the field of agriculture. Commenting on current economic scenario of the country, he opined that the agriculture is one sector of the economy that can pull the country out of the economic morass in a relatively short period inspite of all the constraints.

FAST-NU team wins Windows Phone 7 Challenge A team from Pakistan (Pi Maxies) has won the Round 1 of Windows 7 Mobile Development Challenge for Saif Ullah winner of Salik Tayyab Scholarship is receiving a cheque of their App Kick Now. FAST-NU Rs. 70,000 from Salik’s family friends and students of Batch 2004 Karachi Campus has initiated a Rs. 70,000 was handed over by Salik's enabling him to continue his studies vigorous training program for its family, friends and FAST-NU Lahore unhindered by financial constraints. students especially in the field of Batch 2004 students to the It has been suggested that the Mobile Space. Another team from the Scholarship Winner on February 26, procedure to award this scholarship same institute has won Round 2 of the 2011 in presence of Director FAST- be formalized in collaboration with Windows 7 Mobile Development NU Lahore Campus, Dr. Arshad the OSAF (FAA-Lahore) Foundation, Challenge. This team comprised Hussain and Manager Academics, Mr. with the funds being contributed by Imab Asghar, Musa Ali, Saad Zamand Saif Ullah. the Batch of 2004. and Asad Memon. Page 4 April, 2011 FAST-NU student elected first Graduate Class Ambassador for University of Calgary Nauman Saeed Anwar, a candidate but this was the first year that a o f M B A 2 0 11 / E a r l y S t a g e Graduate Ambassador was also to be Technology Analyst (UTI) Haskayne elected. This virtually means that for School of Business, University of the years to come, a student of FAST- Calgary has recently been elected the NU, Lahore Campus and more first Graduate Class Ambassador for importantly a Pakistani student will be the students of the University. remembered as the first Graduate He was a student at the Lahore Ambassador at this prestigious Campus of FAST-NU from 2001 to university in Canada. The title means 2005. The student, staff and faculty, that Nauman Saeed Anwar would be comprising over 35,000 members the face of the entire student body voted in the elections. graduating from different disciplines students in front of Faculty, the Board He was elected after a 10-day at the University of Calgary in the year of Governors and the media. He will campaign and voting spree. The 2 0 1 1 . H e , a l o n g w i t h t h e also have a number of other undergraduate ambassadors have undergraduate ambassadors will responsibilities over the next few been elected in previous years as well, speak on behalf of the graduating months. Business Ideas Competition 2011 held at BS Civil Engineering FAST School of Business, Lahore Campus Degree Program starts at FAST-NU Lahore Campus Best Practices - FAST Business interacted with the students to evolve FAST-National University intends Club (FBC) organized 2nd edition of upon their ideas. to start BS Civil Engineering degree Business Ideas Competition at FAST So while the event was a competi- program at Lahore campus from Fall School of Business. This year's event tion among brightest minds with their 2011 Semester with proposed intake focused on three areas, Agricultural, entrepreneurial ideas, it also offered a of 80 students. The University has Social and Technological entrepre- strong learning opportunity to already appointed Dr. Waris Ali, neurship and was participated eagerly students to evolve their ideas and Professor and Head of Department, by more than 75 teams from all over plans. Top 7 teams went ahead to the Civil Engineering Department at Pakistan. Participants included final round which was judged by an Lahore campus. The process of students from FAST-NU, Comsats, elite panel of judges. At the end of the developing labs and hiring qualified faculty members as per Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) require- ments is in the process. The University has already submitted application for Zero/Interim visit of PEC for BS in Civil Engineering at Lahore campus. Paper published in International Journal A research paper titled 'Plane Symmetric Vacuum Bianchi Type III LUMS, GIK Institute, UET Lahore, event, winning teams were awarded Cosmology in f(R) Gravity' by Islamia University Bahawalpur, shields. Business Ideas Competition Muhammad Farasat Shamir, Lecturer NUST, Kinnaird College for Women 2011 proved to be a wonderful (Mathematics), FAST-NU, Lahore, University and other leading institu- success on different accounts. It not has been published in International tions of the country. Round two and only hosted teams from all over Journal of Theoretical Physics, three were held on March 11, 2011 at Pakistan, but also proved to be a Volume 50, Number 3, Pages 637- FAST School of Business. Selected networking platform for students with 643, DOI: 10.1007/s10773-010- teams from Round one presented their eminent industry professionals, 0587-8. In the paper, the crucial business ideas to a panel of judges including CEOs of leading organiza- phenomenon of expansion of universe consisting of industry professionals tions and explore opportunities of has been discussed in the context of and faculty members who also putting their ideas to work. f(R) theory of gravity. Contact: Dr. M Latif Virk, Registrar, FAST House, Rohtas Road, G-9/4, Islamabad Email:[email protected] Phone:051-2855072-74. Edited & designed by: M. Asghar