LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Thursday announced Rs 100 million for the Government College University Endowment Fund Trust (GCU-EFT).

The chief minister was addressing the University’s 15th convocation, in which very touching moments were witnessed when a widow along with her minor son received the doctorate of philosophy (PhD) degree of her murdered husband, Rao Altaf Husain.

Rao Altaf, an associate professor at the Government Science College Wahdat Road, had completed his PhD in Zoology a week before of his murder in November 2016 in Lahore.

According the convocation report, as many as 1686 students would receive medals, rolls of honour and degrees in the three session of the convocation. In first session, 216 of 386 MPhil/MS and 32 of 55 PhD degrees were conferred upon the female students.   

In his key note address, the chief minister said that the federal and provincial higher education commissions would jointly work and pool in their resources for the promotion of higher education in Punjab. He said that the Punjab government would also provide financial support to GCU for development of its Kala Shah Campus, and he would personally look into the matter that why PC-I of the project was not yet approved.

He said that the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund Trust would swell to Rs 20 billion this year and would be awarding scholarships to the two hundred thousand bright students of the country. “It’s the biggest endowment fund in the sub-continents,” he said.

The chief minister also appreciated the hard work and vision of the Vice Chancellor, especially his much needed activism in appointment of senior faculty, filling the vacant positions of professors and deans, and activating the research chairs and Abdus Salam School of Mathematical School in a very short period one and half years.

Shahbaz Sharif, who is also Old Ravian, felt nostalgic at his alma mater and told students that “l count my student days at this great seat of learning to be most the amazing period of my life. Allow me to say that whatever l have been able to achieve, the Government College played a leading role in shaping my personality and instilling in me the value of hard work and constant struggle.”

In his address, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah called upon the graduates to retain the core values of tolerance, justice, ingenuity, prudence and diligence that they acquired during their studies at GCU and resist the onslaught of time which compels them to compromise their values and succumb to various social pressures.

“You must bridge the gap between your ideals and the cruel realities of life. Your success lies in your endurance and perseverance,” he said.

He told the chief minister that the process of recruitment of staff against vacant positions in all the academic departments was expedited during the last one year. As a result, a total of 109 new appointments have been made which includes 11 Professors, 24 Associate Professors, 34 Assistant Professors and 40 Lecturers. For the first time in its history, GCU now has all the four offices of Deans of Faculties occupied by competent professors, he said.

The vice chancellor said the university deans had been delegated specific powers with well-defined targets and time frames as part of the decentralization of authority and maintenance of transparency, efficiency and accountability in all the academic and administrative affairs.

Later, the chief minister and VC presented Shahbaz Sharif Gold Medal for Best Urdu Declamation Speaker to Muhammad Kafeel Ashraf, Prof GD Sondhi Medal for overall excellent performance to Syed Aminah Sohail Qureshi, Mohammad Idrees Medal for Best Debater to Hassan Qadeer Butt, Daud Ilyas Medal for Outstanding Intermediate Student to Ali Zar Raza, Dr Saida Karamat Medal for Best Woman Graduate to Amna Niaz, Waleed Iqbal Medal for Best English Parliamentary Speaker to Hamza Abbass, while Thespian Medal for excellent performance in Dramatics was conferred upon Muneeb.

Punjab Minister Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani and Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin also graced the first session of convocation as guests.

The university would honour its position holders for the BA/BSc (Honours) programmes today (Friday) at the second session of the conference. The total 1686 degrees, to be awarded at the three sessions of convocation, also included 895 degrees of BA/BSc (Hons) and 319 of MA/MSc, and 36 co-curricular and six sports rolls of honours.