I, Sheikh Irfan Ullah Khan, am an Associate Professor at COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus. I have dedicated my career to academia, sharing my knowledge and expertise with students in the field of Mathematics. Through my studies and research, I have established myself as a respected figure in the academic community, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in my area of focus.

Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to education and the advancement of knowledge. I began my academic journey as Lecturer, before taking on the role of Associate Professor at COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus. In this position, I have had the opportunity to mentor and inspire students, while also engaging in research and academic collaborations.

Dr. Sheikh, an esteemed faculty member at COMSATS University Islamabad's Abbottabad Campus, has also established a valuable connection with HITEC University. His involvement includes potential collaboration on research projects, delivering guest lectures, and other significant contributions to the institution. These interactions foster a mutually beneficial relationship, promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise between both universities.

As an experienced academic, I have accumulated invaluable insights and lessons throughout my career. To aspiring academics, researchers, and students who may look to me as a role model, I would offer the following advice:

• Remember that setbacks and challenges are part of the journey. Embrace them as opportunities for growth and learning.
• Trust in your abilities and have confidence in your mathematical potential. With dedication and perseverance, you can make meaningful contributions to the field.
• Inspire others by sharing your passion for mathematics. Your enthusiasm and expertise can motivate the next generation of mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers.

Warm Regrds

After graduating with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from HITEC in June 2017, I moved to Australia in February 2018. Initially employed as a construction laborer in a residential tower project in Sydney, I transitioned to an engineering role within the same company when they recognized my capabilities extended beyond mere laboring tasks.

During my initial year, I made valuable connections which led me to freelance engineering work and subcontracting for my former employer. This enabled me to make more valuable contacts. Collaborating with a former manager, Jim, we established Torinex Consulting Engineers in 2019, with Jim as the owner-director and myself as a shareholder Associate. The company has thrived since then, securing construction design projects across Sydney. Personally, not only I have learned the consulting side of the business, but I am also among the few engineers in New South Wales, holding multiple registrations with the state regulatory body, certifying authority in five different design fields namely Drainage, Fire Hydrants, Sprinklers, Smoke Control, and Mechanical Engineering. My versatile experience enables me to run my business as a one-stop shop for all the Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Stormwater, and Civil design services.

In late 2022, I set up an office in Fateh Jang, Pakistan which serves as an extension to my Australian business. Currently, I have employed three other Hitonians from the Mechanical and Civil departments at above-market remuneration and have been providing them with training and learning opportunities.

While I acknowledge progress, I consider success an ongoing journey and there is a long way to. I have been inspiring fellow Hitonians since 2018 when the unemployment rate was very high in Australia. My message to all young engineers at HITEC is that you will never become successful without a Plan and from my personal experience, I can tell that it won’t happen by accident or via luck. Gone are the days of conventional employment. Job hunting is beyond borders now and your end goal should be to run a business. Consider every new day an opportunity to try even harder and every setback an opportunity to perform even better.

Yours faithfully,

I, Engr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Kazmi, am honored and grateful to share my journey at HITEC. The university played a pivotal role in my professional development, allowing me to represent the Civil Engineering Department in conferences nationwide, expanding my horizons.

Securing an internship at the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) through HITEC provided invaluable practical insights, bridging the gap between theory and industry applications. During my academic tenure, achieving the prestigious title of Gold Medalist was a testament to my dedication and the quality education provided by HITEC.

Guidance from teachers and mentors, particularly during our group's Final Year Design Project, resulted in earning the Gold medal. Co-authoring two conference papers and having a journal article under review showcased academic excellence nurtured at HITEC. Post-graduation, being offered a position as a Lab Engineer at HITEC allowed me to give back while gaining further professional experience. It was a dream come true, marking the continuation of my journey where it all began.

Warm Regards

I am an alumnus of Computer Science department; I graduated in 2022 with a gold medal for best CGPA score in my batch. I currently work as a Backend Specialist for WeatherWalay. I contribute to the company’s cause by creating and maintaining digital services.

I started working as a freelance developer while I was still in my 3rd semester. By that time, we had covered most of the basic programming courses. They helped me improve my profile, and so I managed to land a few gigs. In October 2020, I got my first remote job at a startup based in UK. This was my first official contractual job, and so I consider this job as my first step into the industry. This was also my first time working with a team of developers, and so it helped me understand all the moving pieces of a project and how a developer’s work fit into the greater product.

In September 2021, I joined an Islamabad based software house as an intern. This company dealt in CRM software customization and work was quite one-dimensional. However, I took a lot from working there, learned how software are made keeping in mind the scale of operation and user experience. I rejoined the same company after graduating in July, 2022. I would continue working there for almost a year.

In March 2022, during my last semester, I worked another remote contract job for a company based in UK. This time my role involved creating a WordPress website. I learned much about hosting websites, improving user experience and novel techniques of building websites. In May 2023, I joined my current company, where I contribute in creating and maintaining weather related digital services. This job has been unlike any other as I have worked on a stack that I did not work on prior to this job. Also, for me, this job is as much about teaching and helping as it is about learning.

HITEC University, my teachers and the friends I made there are a very important contributing factor to what I have been able to achieve. One skill that I learnt during my bachelor’s degree other than programming, which I totally attribute to the university, is the skill of communicating with an audience. Apart from the regulation presentations, I was given the opportunity to talk about and “sell” my project ideas in Open House and project Expos. I would like to mention Dr. M. Nouman Noor especially for this. He was also my Final Year’s Project supervisor, which was an industry-oriented project that was ranked top 3 in Computer Science department. The experience I took from working on that project would later on help me a lot in professional life.

Currently, I serve as a member of Industrial Advisory Board at HITEC University and hope to contribute to the best of my potential. I made great connections at HITEC University. The friends that I made in my first semester are one of my closest friends to this day. I would like to advice all the readers:

• Anyone can build anything with code, what makes great programmers stand out from good programmers is how strong their basics are.
• Learn and master Object-Oriented Programming and databases before anything else.
• Do not worry that you will “forget” the previous concept/language when you start learning a new concept or language. Computer Science concepts are universal and they build upon each other.
• Sometimes if you cannot understand something and it feels like everyone else seem to understand, it is entirely possible that you are just having a bad day. Do not get frustrated with yourself or think about abandoning the field and try something else. However, make sure you revisit the concept later.
• More than half of learning how to code is about learning how to think; think out loud, and draw out your solution on a paper.
• Practice by working on hobby projects; my favorite hobby project was a cricket chatbot application that worked on Twitter and Facebook.
• The more you help others, the better your own understanding of a topic will get. If you can effortlessly and easily explain a concept to a fellow, you know you understand it.

Remember that you are studying to become a Computer Scientist. Becoming a good Computer Scientist gives you a huge advantage professionally; you can become anything from a teacher, a consultant to an entrepreneur. It’s a cheat code to life currently.

Warm regards.