"A Seminar on "Central Asian Republics: Challenges and Opportunities after US Withdrawal" organized by the Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad"
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Business Planning Directorate and Human Resource Development
A seminar on "Strategic Planning and Foresight" was held on February 29, 2024, at Junaid Zaidi Library, Video Conference Room, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad Campus. The seminar aimed to elucidate the critical role of strategic planning and foresight in organizational success, with a particular focus on the faculty, staff, and students of COMSATS University Islamabad. Esteemed figures in the field, Dr. Aamir Murad, CEO of Management Excellence, and Mr. Umar Sheraz, Senior Research Officer at COMSATS University Islamabad, led the discussion.
The event commenced with the recitation of the Glorious Quran. Subsequently, Dr. Aamir Murad talked about the pivotal role of strategic planning in guiding organizations towards their objectives, while also enabling them to navigate the dynamic and uncertain landscape of today's world. By tailoring their insights to the specific context of COMSATS University Islamabad, attendees gained a nuanced understanding of how strategic foresight can surpass the institution's unique needs and aspirations.
Mr. Umar Sheraz further delved into the significance of foresight within organizational contexts. He articulated the process as a systematic exploration and anticipation of future trends, opportunities, and challenges that could impact an organization's objectives and operations. Through foresight, organizations can proactively identify emerging opportunities, anticipate risks, and adapt their strategies accordingly. This discussion provided attendees with valuable insights into how integrating foresight into organizational planning processes can enhance resilience, agility, and long-term competitiveness.
The seminar was organized by the Directorate of Planning, Development, and Human Resource Development.
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In order to share the most recent basic statistics about floodplain modelling, the data requirements, and its potential use in the context of urban flood management in Pakistan, the UNESCO Water Chair on Knowledge Systems for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in cooperation with the Department of Civil Engineering organized a seminar on December 20, 2023, titled "Introduction to Floodplain Modelling". The seminar started with recitation of Holy Quran verses and a welcome note presented by member UNESCO Chair CUI Wah Campus/Lecturer, Engr. Summera Fahmi Khan. She presented the UNESCO Water Chair role and highlighted the importance of the Chair being an effective platform for knowledge sharing. The seminar's objective was to provide introduction to computer models, hydrology and hydraulic floodplain modelling differences and use of TUFLOW modelling software but also provided the opportunity to identify and test flood mitigation scenarios which are cost effective and are beneficial for the wider community.
The seminar presentation was represented by two speakers. The main speaker, Principal water consultant, Mr. Habib Rahman has over 30 years of experience in areas of catchment and floodplain modelling and flood management using various hydrologic and hydraulic software systems, also has the honor of inventing a special flood modelling technique, the Direct Rainfall method, which is used worldwide. He is the pioneer of 1D/2D modeling in Australia. He significantly delivered his knowledge and research on differences of hydrologic and hydraulic modelling, contributed to the update of Australia Rainfall and Runoff, which is the cardinal guideline for flood management in Australia. He also discusses the challenges with audiences in urban flood modelling and management in regions of Pakistan.
The other on-line speaker, Chris Huxley the author of TUFLOW software, which is the state of the art two dimensional floodplain modelling software used worldwide. Chris is a leading expert in floodplain modelling and has extensive experience in undertaking flood studies of complex nature. He displayed his floodplain 2D modelling using TUFLOW software for specific case study regions of Australia. At the end of the seminar, Chris also answered the questions mentioned by online participants and the student's audience related to difficulties faced in TUFLOW software modelling. The faculty members from the CUI Wah Campus, University of Wah, HITEC University Taxila, UET Taxila, professionals from NESPAK and graduate/ undergraduate students from these universities attended the seminar.
In his final remarks, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abid, T.I., the UNESCO Chair on Knowledge Systems for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), stressed the importance of creating capacity in the adaptation of evolving technologies in floodplain management and mitigation strategies. He showed his concerns about social impacts at the national level due to losses of flooding. He expressed gratitude to the Australian resource persons and the organizing team, particularly the CUI Wah Campus ICE chapter, for their hard work in putting this session together. The Chair also congratulated everyone for coming and helping to make the occasion a success.
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The Department of Civil Engineering conducted a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Seminar titled "Research and Analysis of the Impact of Substitution Filler on the Performance of Asphalt Mixtures" on November 23, 2023. The Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Tahir Mahmood extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guest speaker, Engr. Dr. Bilal Zaidi, an Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering at UET Taxila. Dr. Zaidi, a holder of a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK, boasts over a decade of teaching and research experience at both national and international universities. His scholarly contributions include authorship of more than 50 research publications in esteemed journals with high impact factors, with his primary research focus revolving around pavement materials and design.
During the seminar, the guest speaker delved into the application of filler materials to enhance the safety, resilience, affordability, and environmental sensitivity of pavement structures. The event concluded with the presentation of a Campus souvenir to Dr. Zaidi, and expressions of gratitude were extended through a concluding vote of thanks.
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering (DME) organized a seminar titled "Human Factors and the United Nations, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" on November 24, 2023. The seminar was presented by the International guest speaker, Prof. Dr. Hj. Muhammad Izzat Nor Ma'arof from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying, INTI International University, Malaysia virtually via MS Teams.
The speaker presented the crucial considerations of human factors in engineering designs, particularly those having impacted the daily lives of ordinary individuals and industrial workers. He also provided a concise overview of his research team's ongoing endeavors. Emphasizing the significance of the United Nations' SDGs, Prof. Izzat explained the connection between his work and the SDGs.
The audience actively participated in an exchange of views and inquiries with the esteemed speaker, fostering a stimulating forum for discussion. In closing remarks, Dr. Muhammad Abid, Ti., Director, CUI Wah Campus, articulated the CUI's vision regarding the SDGs and expressed gratitude to Prof. Izzat for imparting his knowledge to the students and faculty members. He further extended an invitation to Prof. Izzat to revisit the CUI Wah Campus during his future visits to Pakistan.
The seminar proved to be an invaluable learning experience for all attendees, providing a deeper understanding of the interplay between human factors, engineering design, and the SDGs.
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