Taking you back in the Karachi Stone-age. A living edifice marking Karachi’s diversity and its residents’ philanthropy. Long Live Nadirshaw Eduljee Dinshaw! Long live Karachi! Visiting NED university’s city campus makes you nostalgic at the least. Although the campus building is humbled by the grandeur of its neighboring DJ Science College but the emotional value attached to it is just enormous. Imagine how the building and surrounding area looked like in 30s and 40s, with students flocking in from nearby hostels and making the first generation of local Engineers. All of them with stories and dreams of their own. You can almost hear them whisper and you would feel privileged to stand there in midst of Karachi’s oldest Alma mater.
NED University of has the honor of being the first degree awarding institution in what was to be Pakistan. It was established in 1922 and was called “Prince of Wales Engineering College”. Its was renamed as Nadirshaw Eduljee Dinshaw Engineering College later to credit generousness of Mr. Nadirshaw and his family. It was located within the historic quarters of Karachi,in the vicinity of D.J Science college. In 1975 NED University was shifted to the new campus on University road. The heritage building’s future rested in limbo for sometime before its emotional and architectural value was realized by the management and it was converted as exclusive campus for the Architecture department of the university. Now the building is center of conservation activities and funds different preservation undertakings across the city.
If you happen to be around DJ science college then take the road going behind it. Turn left at next crossroad and you will see the entrance to the campus. A small parking space is usually occupied by drivers. It is right at the back of DJ Science college. You could feel the pain of the institution standing there. You will also find a tree planted by great grand daughter of Mr. Nadirshaw there. However for some reason it is not commensurate with the respect it requires. Turn left and you will see stone-age classes which turn to the right. Walk till the end. The classes at the end are in better condition probably due to recent makeover. Right in-front of the stone-age building is new construction: boring and distasteful.
The Karachi Walla 
Oh my sweet college. Hi Tariq, once again you forwarded something which I love to see even if it is in a photograph just like the photo of Metharam Hostel you forwarded before. When I was a student before entering NED, NED used to live in my mind. Now it lives in my heart.
Metharam Hostel had appeared in bad shape with broken windows because it was/is given to the use of savage Pakistani Rangers.
NED appears in good shape. The building was abandoned for several years after NED moved to a new campus. Now the NED University uses it as its Architectural Department and keeps it maintained, I am told.
When I was enrolled in NED the total strength was about 400. Now the total enrollment in the new campus is 6000.
Mansoor Mozaffar, P.E. (Illinois & Wisconsin)
Orland Park, Illinois, USA
GOOD……………
I (Mukhtar A. Shaikh) studied at NED from 1957 -1961 earned BE mechanical & electrical, topped class of 1961. All three top graduates immigrated / settled in USA.