23/04/2026
Inauguration of Solarization Project at Abdul Wali Khan University; Briefing on Educational Reforms
AWKUM — Provincial Minister for Higher Education, Meena Khan Afridi, visited Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, where he formally inaugurated the solarization project at the New Academic Block.
On this occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jamil Ahmad, Members of Assembly Tufail Anjum, Zahir Shah Toru, Zarshad Khan, and Abdul Salam Afridi, Secretary Higher Education Dr. Muhammad Israr, along with university officials, were present.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jamil Ahmad, during the briefing, stated that the solarization project has been completed at a total cost of 35 million rupees, resulting in monthly electricity savings of approximately 4 million rupees for the university. He added that, for the first time, Blackboard software is being introduced at the university, while the ERP system has already been successfully launched, enabling all student fees to be processed online.
He further informed that the university radio and TV will be launched, and 11 research projects have been approved this year. The seats in the Pharm-D program have been increased from 100 to 200, and a new building has also been allocated for this purpose.
According to statistics, 3,790 students graduated in the current semester, while 3,800 new students have been enrolled. The commercialization of university-developed research projects will take place soon, and university products will be available in the market shortly. Additionally, the university guest house generated a revenue of 2.5 million rupees this year, while the establishment of a School of Sharia Law and Allied Sciences is also under consideration.
During the visit, the provincial minister inspected various departments, particularly the fish pond established for fish farming, where Dr. Qayyash and Dr. Tariq Mahmood briefed him. It was shared that the university is currently conducting research on fish species from Brazil and Vietnam, with promising results.
On this occasion, Zahir Shah Toru pledged 110 million rupees from his funds for the construction of an auditorium at the university and agreed to allocate 113 million rupees for a hostel project.
In his address, Provincial Minister Meena Khan Afridi stated that the government is taking serious steps to promote higher education and that aligning universities with modern requirements is a pressing need. He emphasized that projects like solarization not only reduce expenses but also play a significant role in environmental improvement.
He reaffirmed the commitment to ensure digitalization, promote a research culture, and provide modern facilities to students across all universities in the province. He stated that the province can only progress by equipping youth with skills and research opportunities.
The provincial minister appreciated the performance of the Vice Chancellor, stating that under his leadership, the university is achieving new milestones, and the government will continue to fully support such initiatives.
