NED University of Engineering & Technology

Description

The NED University of Engineering & Technology, was established in March 1977 under an act of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh after upgrading of the former NED Government Engineering College, which was set up in 1921. The NED University is thus one of the oldest institutions in Pakistan for teaching and producing Engineering graduates. Prior to this, the D.J. Sindh College used to run classes to train subordinates for the Sindh P.W.D., the Municipalities and Local Boards.

On August 29, 1921, College Principal C.S. Shahani made a concerted effort to get Engineering Degree classes started to meet demands of Civil Engineers on the project for completion of the Sukkur Barrage. The University of Bombay initially rejected the application due to insufficient finance and lack of separate infrastructure. However, with generous donations from the Puribai and Becharbai Trust, Vishandas Fatehchand Brothers, and a major contribution of Rs.150,000 from the family of Mr. Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw, new college buildings and laboratories were constructed. The college was initially called the Prince of Wales Engineering College but was later renamed in memory of Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw.

The college was provisionally granted affiliation in May 1923 by the University of Bombay and 78 students were provisionally admitted in 1922. Permanent affiliation followed in 1927. Mr. G.N. Gokhale was the first full-time principal, and Mr. S.B. Jannarkar was the first professor and vice principal, both playing critical roles in setting up the institution.

The original college comprised four blocks and two sheds, including the Seth Fatehchand Dewandas Khilnani Hall and labs funded by the Bai Puribai and Bacharbai Trust. The total construction cost was just over Rs. 265,000, and equipment costs reached nearly Rs. 400,000.

After 1947, the college came under the Government of Sindh and was renamed NED Government Engineering College. It was affiliated with the University of Sindh and later with the University of Karachi in 1951. A World Bank-assisted project helped move the campus to a 40-hectare site near the University of Karachi in 1975.

On March 1, 1977, it officially became the NED University of Engineering and Technology. From just 50 students in 1923, the university now serves nearly 11,986 students. The Faculty of Bio-Medical Engineering is located at the LEJ Campus, donated by philanthropist Latif Ebrahim Jamal.

In 2019, the university opened a constituent college in Mithi, Tharparkar—Thar Institute of Engineering, Sciences & Technology (TIEST)—to educate students in underserved areas and support local coal and energy industries. Initially, BS Computer Science launched in 2019, followed by Civil Engineering in 2021, with more engineering disciplines to follow.

The university’s leadership includes a notable list of vice chancellors: Mr. A.M. Akhoond, Prof. Dr. A.T. Khan, Prof. Dr. Jameel Ahmed Khan, Prof. Dr. M. Munir Hasan, Prof. Dr. A.Q. Qazi, Engr. Abul Kalam, Prof. Dr. M. Afzal Haque, Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, Prof. Dr. Noman Ahmed, and the current VC, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tufail.