HYDERABAD: The University of Sindh (SU) on Thursday decided to establish a Centre for Indus Valley Integrated Studies (CIVIS) with the support of experts from the United States and Germany for conserving heritage and conducting research on science, humanities and human resources.

The foreign scholars, German scientist Prof Dr Michael Jansen and US expert on archaeology Dr Joseph Schuldenrein said at a meeting chaired by SU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat that improving knowledge in the fields of heritage, science, humanities and human resources would greatly help people learn about the past phenomena occurring in greater Indus Valley.

The meeting was attended by all members of a committee constituted on Feb 12exclusively for the preparation of a proposal for the establishment of CIVIS, according to a press release.

Dr Jansen told the meeting that inspired by the extraordinary importance of the cultural capital of Sindh, such as two world heritage sites (Moenjodaro and Makli) the idea of a research centre was broached.

According to newly-emerged observations, he said, Moenjodaro had proven to be the largest Bronze Age city of the world that merited international attention and concern and fully justified its comparison with Egypt and the pyramids.

`A group of scientists has assembled to work on an interdisciplinary scientific programme to answer necessary questions for the better understanding of the complexity of the greater Indus Valley,` he said.

He said that for the time being a concrete project was already dealing with the studies of the sedimentology and undergroundextension of Moenjodaro as demanded by Unesco.

`As a result of the findings of the working group, it is deemed essential to establish an international research centre at the University of Sindh in Jamshoro that may have ultra-modern facilities to grow into a centre of global repute,` he said.

He said that he was thanl(ful to SU vice chancellor for having picl(ed up the idea and constituting the committee to further refine the proposal for CIVIS.

About aims and objectives of the proposed centre, Dr Burfat said CIVIS would be conducting research related to the past, present andfuture ofSindhand Pakistanin the context of global heritage, science, humanities and human resources in relation to greater Indus Valley.

He said the establishment of the interdisciplinary research centre would optimise cooperation and better understandingamong people of the region and help them find solutions to their common complex issues.

Dr Burfat endorsed all aspects and terms of reference of the proposed centre and agreed to the idea of Dr Jansen that it would be a post-graduate centre to support national and international scholars to earn academic degrees such as Masters, MPhil and PhD.

He said CIVIS might also need to solicit national and global support and therefore international networking would be essentialforcollaboration.

US expert on archaeology Dr Joseph Schuldenrein, pro-vice chancellor of SU Thatta campus Prof Dr Sarfraz Hussain Solangi, Dr Akhtar Hussain Moghal, Dr Imdadullah Siddiqui, Dr Hamadullah Kakepoto, Mohammad Hanif Leghari and Manik Mustafa Shar were also present at the meeting.