LAHORE - Forman Christian College new Rector Dr James Tebbe has said that the university was dedicated to the growth and development of the people of Pakistan. The institution was founded in 1864 and was one of the oldest educational institutions in South Asia. It had provided leaders in various fields throughout the region.
In his address at the convocation ceremony of FCC (A Chartered University) held on Saturday, he said the current graduates were the leaders of tomorrow. They had been instilled with a broad base of knowledge and critical skills that would serve them well in the years ahead. He acknowledged the work of his predecessor Dr Peter Armacost in recognizing the need for a liberal arts style education in Pakistan and for introducing it in FCC in 2004. Dr Tebbe added, “We want to establish systems that sustain the progress and set high standards across Pakistan for liberal arts.”
The Rector described the hallmarks of FCC’s improved educational standards saying that in the last decade the number and quality of both the students and teachers had improved. There were more than 6,000 students enrolled in the Intermediate, Baccalaureate and postgraduate programs.
Another hallmark was the emphasis on the education of women, with female students currently making up 34% of the Baccalaureate student body and 60% of the postgraduate students. “The completion of the under-construction women’s hostel funded by USAID,” he said, “would provide residential facilities for 374 students and allow FCC to enroll more women from remote areas of the country.”
In conclusion, he urged the graduates to take FCC’s core values with them. While they had faced numerous challenges during the course of their studies, they would have to overcome bigger challenges in the future.
The ceremony, the second convocation held in 2012, was attended by a large number of persons, including faculty, members of the Board of Governors and parents and friends of graduating students. A total of 130 Baccalaureate Honors and 28 postgraduate degrees were awarded. This included 48 BA, 57 BS, 10 BS Business, 15 BS Computer Science, eight MPhil Biotechnology, 11 MPhil Chemistry, one MAS Economics and eight Advanced Diplomas in ELT. Nine Baccalaureate students also received Core Values/Service Awards.
Dr Tebbe was joined on stage by the Vice Rector Dr Donald Douglas, the Executive Vice Rector Dr C J Dubash, the Registrar Dr Hamid Saeed, and Principal of the Intermediate section Dr Christy Munir. During the ceremony, 15 students from the Intermediate section of FCC were given certificates of distinction for securing first, second and third positions among the College candidates in the Lahore BISE examinations. Seven students from the Intermediate section were also awarded medals in various categories. The outstanding Intermediate teacher award was given to Mr Daniel Yousaf, Head of the Physics Department.