Habib University

Habib University (HU) (Urdu: دانش گاہِ حبیب‎) is a private liberal arts university located in Karachi, Pakistan.[3][4]

Habib University
دانش گاہِ حبیب
Motto قيمة كل امرىء ما يحسنه
Motto in English
Every Human Being’s worth is in their Yohsin (thoughtful self-cultivation)
TypePrivate
Established2014[1]
Endowment$40 million
ChancellorMr. Rafiq M. Habib
PresidentMr. Wasif Rizvi
ProvostDr. Christopher Taylor
Location
Karachi
,
Pakistan
CampusUniversity Avenue in Gulistan-e-Jauhar[2]

Funded by the House of Habib, the Habib University Foundation was established in 2010, and was chartered in 2012 as an independent university. Based on a 6.3 acres (295,800 sq ft.) campus in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, it is a multi-disciplinary varsity offering undergraduate degree's in science, engineering, arts, humanities and social sciences. It has a strong liberal arts focus and requires all its students to take a set of liberal arts courses consisting of sociology, history, philosophy and anthropology.[5][6]

History

In 2010, the House of Habib formed the Habib University Foundation (a not-for-profit organization).[7] The project was launched with a grant of US$40 million. Construction on the campus in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi began in 2012.

The university has a joint venture contract with Texas A&M University at Qatar and is collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University, United States for reciprocal sharing of institutional experience and has signed a partnership agreement for the association.[8]

HU's first class of undergraduate students began in August 2014. HU Talent Outreach Program (TOPS), launched in 2016, provides selected students a tuition fee waiver for four-year undergraduate program.[9] Wasif Rizvi (M.Ed, Harvard) is the founding President of the University.[10] While, Anjum Altaf (PhD, Stanford) is the provost of the university.[11]

Campus

The university's campus is located behind the Jinnah International Airport runway and covers an area of around 6.3 Acres (295,800 sq ft.).[12][13] The campus is noted for being one of the few handicapped-accessible campuses in the city and is a non-residential campus. The university's laboratories are designed and furnished by Research Facilities Design.[14] In 2010 the campus design won the Merit Award for Excellence in Planning for New Campus from the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP).[15]

The university's central auditorium covers 25,000 square feet of area, and seats over 300 persons. In addition, the university holds two lecture halls, the Tariq Rafi Lecture Theatre which holds 300 students and the Soorty Lecture Theatre which holds 60 seats.[16] The campus includes several classrooms with not more than 20 seats each.[17] The university also includes an amphitheatre which covers an area of 4500 square feet.[18] The Habib library covers an area of 21,000 square feet and is a semi-public space and is home to information commons, lounges, and discussion rooms.[19]

Academics
library.

The university incorporates a liberal arts education with cultural sensitivity within its curriculum. It is mandatory for every student studying there to follow the liberal arts curriculum in all its offered courses. In addition to local regional languages, all students are required to study a liberal arts curriculum comprising sociology, history, philosophy – Western, Eastern and Islamic – and anthropology.[20] The university terms this a "Habib Core Curriculum" based on seven "Forms of Thought". These include:[21]

  • Historical and Social Thought
  • Philosophical Thought
  • Language and Expression
  • Creative Practice
  • Formal Reasoning
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Natural Scientific Method and Analysis

The university offers six majors including Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Social Development & Policy, Communication & Design and Comparative Liberal Studies. All classes are modeled after a tutorial system which includes small classes of 12 students.[22]

The university has affiliations with Stanford University,[23] Pitzer College, University of Michigan,[24] Carnegie Mellon University, LUMS,[25] University of California, Berkeley,[26] and Texas A&M University; allowing student's to attend summer sessions at these universities.[27][28] It has a student to teacher ratio of 12:1,[29] and, as of 2016, has 1,000 full-time students.[30] Its academic staff is led by Dr. Asif Farrukhi, the Dean of School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Interim Dean of School of Science and Engineering, Dr. Mohammad Shahid Sheikh.[31] The university is regarded as among Pakistan's most progressive education institute.[32]

Yohsin Lecture Series

Yohsin Lecture Series is a public lecture series modeled after the public lecture series of the London School of Economics. The Inaugural Yohsin Lecture was delivered by Dr. Munir Fasheh in November 2011.[33] Other prominent speakers have included the Dean for SAIS at the Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Vali Nasr[34] and MIT Professor, Dr. Deborah K. Fitzgerald.[35]

Dhanani School of Science and Engineering (DSSE) Public Lecture Series

The Dhanani School of Science and Engineering (DSSE) invites professionals of academia to share their ideas on a wide variety of subjects through its Public Lecture Series.[36]

Interdisciplinary Development Research and Action Center (IDRAC)

The IDRAC Center at HU fosters research and action on key development challenges facing Pakistan and the larger South Asian region. The Center hosts a series of activities in the region while serving society and contributing to the social welfare.[37]

Center for Media and Design (CMD)

The Center for Media and Design acts as a hub for talks, symposia, exhibitions, literary readings, and arts such as film, video, music, dance, theater and performance.[38]

Arzu Center

The Center is named after the 18th century poet, linguist and lexicographer, Siraj-ud-Din Ali Khan Arzu.[39] The Arzu Center is linked to HU's School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences programs and serve to meet the vernacular requirements of the University. The Center's scope of work covers a wide range including language instruction, translation from and into the regional languages.

People

Notable people associated with the university include:

See also

References
  1. http://habib.edu.pk/about/
  2. "It's show time: Habib University building to be completed by end of Feb". The Express Tribune. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  3. "Habib University holds ceremony to recognise students' talent, skills | DailyTimes". www.dailytimes.com.pk. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  4. "For better education: Habib varsity to prepare students for life with its liberal arts model - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  5. Andrew, Marylou (1 March 2014). "Liberal to the core". aurora.dawn.com. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  6. Wani, Shahrukh (1 May 2017). "For Wasif, Education Is Misunderstood In Pakistan". Millennial Pakistan. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  7. "The House of Habib | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  8. "Habib University to begin operations in fall of 2014". The Nation. 17 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  9. "Habib University's Talent Outreach, Promotion and Support Program (HU TOPS) | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  10. "Mr. Wasif Rizvi". Habib University. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  11. "Dr. Anjum Altaf Joins Habib University as its First Provost | Habib University | News & Media". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  12. Project Updates (June 2012). "Habib University – City Campus, Karachi, Pakistan". Open Architecture Network. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  13. Staff Reporter (30 September 2012). "Habib University gets charter". The Nation(Nawaiwaqt Group). Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  14. "Photo feature: Design for education". DAWN.COM. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  15. "Habib University board hosted a hi-tea at their Campus". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  16. "Auditorium & Lecture Halls | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  17. "Classrooms & Labs | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  18. "Amphitheater | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  19. "Library | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  20. "Here is why I chose Habib University". Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  21. "The Habib Liberal Core | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  22. "The Classroom Experience | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  23. "MoU signed between Habib University (HU), Pakistan, and Stanford University, USA, for the exclusive Stanford Summer International Honors Program (SSIHP) - Habib University | News & Media". Habib University | News & Media. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  24. "Habib Enters Academic Collaborations with Pitzer College, U-Michigan - Habib University | News & Media". Habib University | News & Media. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  25. "LUMS Physics Lab Shares Expertise with Habib University, Karachi". lums.edu.pk. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  26. Dawn.com (8 November 2016). "Students of Habib University to attend summer sessions at UC Berkeley". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  27. Sims-Williams, Ursula. "Hidden history: An A-Z of Britain's Arabic propaganda". Scroll.in. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  28. "Here is why I chose Habib University – The Express Tribune Blog". blogs.tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  29. "The Classroom Experience - Habib University". Habib University. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  30. "It's show time: Habib University building to be completed by end of Feb - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  31. "Dr. Mohammad Shahid Shaikh | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  32. Haider, Murtaza (25 April 2016). "Pakistan's right-wing media vs Habib University". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  33. University, Habib. "Enhancing Impact and Effectiveness of University Education: The MIT Story". Habib University. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  34. Alamshahi, Ali. "Habib University | Yohsin Lecture Series". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  35. "A brighter future: 'Universities must nurture humans, instead of just technicians' - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  36. University, Habib. "Habib University - DSSE Public Lecture Series". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  37. "About | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  38. "Center for Media & Design | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  39. "Arzu Center | Habib University". habib.edu.pk. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  40. "Justice Haziq-ul-Khairi (Retd.)". Habib University. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  41. "Dr. Asif Farrukhi". Habib University. Retrieved 15 January 2017.

Further reading
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