Center of Excellence in Transportation / Railway Engineering

Center of Excellence in Transportation / Railway Engineering

The Center of Excellence in Transportation/Railwav Engineering has been established in collaboration with the renowned Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. A “Memorandum of Agreement” has already been sign between the two institutions in October 2020; wherein the two universities have agreed to cooperate with each other by fostering academic linkages, exploring joint research projects, exchanging teaching faculty and research staff and to work on joint degree programs.

The Center of Excellence in Transportation / Railway Engineering (COETRE) has already initiated work on a three pronged strategy, targeting education, knowledge and academics through degree programs; skill development and capacity building through training programs; and research and development through viable research projects, in collaboration with the transport industry.

On the academic side COETRE will be launching a MS Degree Program in ‘Railway Systems Engineering’ from Fall Semester of 2021. In the skill development, the Center has already trained about 200 Pakistan Railway official in an on going process under the umbrella of approved triple helix Model being un-planted in cooperation with ministry of railways. Work is in progress on several rail related research projects, and it is envisaged that more interesting topics would come up once the strategic project of up gradation of Main Line I” is started in collaboration with China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

Facilities

The department provides a variety of facilities to students, faculty, and researchers to work in an innovation-friendly environment.

Location

The Center of Excellence in Transport / Railway Engineering, PAF-IAST, at Mang, Haripur, is strategically located near the planned Railways Dry Port at Havelian to be constructed under the ML-1 upgradation project under CPEC framework. A few kilometres away is the main artery or Main Line -1 of Pakistan Railways, which is being upgraded in collaboration with China. Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan and the center of policy formulation institutions is at an hours drive and so is the Karakoram Highway connecting Pakistan to China. At a stone throw distance from the Institute lies the Hattar Industrial Estate where more than 700 small and large industrial units are located.

Faculty Members

Mr. Muhammad Ishfaq Khattak

Advisor, Center of Excellence in Transport / Railway Engineering

MPA – Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.

Dr. Asim Farooq

Assistant Professor & HOD

Ph.D in Transportation Planning Engineering