LAHORE - The Government College University Lahore, the oldest seat of higher learning in Pakistan, has turned 155-year-old. The academic journey, which had started in Haveli (palace) of Dhian Singh in the Walled City on January 1, 1864 with just nine students and three teachers, Tuesday, completed its 155 years of excellence.
A grand ceremony was held at the university’s Amphie Theatre where Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah cut the Founders’ Day cake along with the academic heads and Old Ravians.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor proudly said GCU had been citadel of higher learning where ideals of tolerance and coexistence had flourished with commitment in the last three centuries. He proudly said that GCU in its 155 years academic travel produced hundreds of eminent literary figures, artists, politicians, two Nobel Laureates, four prime ministers, jurists, sportsmen and scientists.
“Poet of East Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, N.M Rashid, Patras Bukhari, Ashfaq Ahmad, Qudsia Bano; Nobel Laureates Prof Dr Abdus Salam and Prof Dr Hargobind Khorana, Chief Justice M. R. Kyani, Chief Justice Naseem Hassan Shah were Old Ravains. The present Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar and former Army Chief General (r) Raheel Sharif are also old students of GC(U),” the Vice Chancellor said.
Talking further about the history of GCU, the Vice Chancellor said that in 1864, the Government College, Lahore was initially affiliated with the Calcutta University as there was no university in this part of the sub-continent at that time.
It was raised to the status of University in 2002 and was renamed as the GC University Lahore.
He said the college was established on the pattern of Cambridge and Oxford and it was available in historical records that it was decided that all students of this college would be given 10 to 15 rupees scholarship annually. In the first year, the fee of the college was Rs2 annually, which was deducted from the scholarships of the students.
The vice chancellor paid rich tribute to the efforts of Dr Leitner, the first principal of GC, saying that that they would maintain wonderful traditions of academic excellence, research, promotion of new ideas and above all, respect for others’ belief and views.
He also told media that last year the international ranking of the university had improved besides it witnessed an increase in research publication and appointment of senior faculty members.