LAHORE: Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman has said that the secret of success in a student’s life is to study, research and be self-accountable.
Chairing the first session of the 20th convocation of the Government College University (GCU) Lahore here on Friday, he said the GCU students have made their name in different fields like literature, science and politics.
The Governor Punjab, addressing the convocation, dispelled the impression that he, as Chancellor, had banned politicians from visiting the universities.
The Governor explained that he has always been in favor of listening to everyone and researching and analysing what they say on the basis of data and facts available.
He said he was against hate speech which is frowned upon all over the world.
The Governor Punjab hailed the initiative of the federal government to end the system of interest.
As many as 52 PhD degrees in various disciplines besides academic and co-curricular medals were conferred on the first day of its three-day 20th convocation.
Besides medals and rolls of honour, a total of two thousand degrees would be awarded this year during the three-day convocation which included 490 MS/M.Phil, 374 MA/MSc degrees and 1057 BA/BSc (Hons) degrees.
The University will also conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards on 10 distinguished alumni from different walks of life to recognize their career-long outstanding work and achievements.
Addressing the graduates, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi said, “75 years into our struggle for nation-building, we are still trying to evolve a path that might salvage us and put us on the path to progress. We need to tread on the path indicated by Iqbal in his verse and poetry.”
Delving upon the problems in Pakistan’s education system, the Vice-Chancellor said that there are three very basic principles on which human life flourishes i.e. diversity, curiosity and creativity, but very unfortunately they are contradicted by a culture of education that is currently prevalent in our country.
“All human beings are naturally different from each other but our education system does not encourage diversity. Rather it lays great stress on conformity, ” he said.
“Curiosity is the second principle that drives human life; if a teacher manages to spark curiosity in a student, he will go on to learn without any further assistance, ” he said.
Prof. Asghar Zaidi elaborated on the goals he identified for the progress of GCU, and the achievements of the University last year.
Earlier, Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman presented “Prof GD Sondhi Medal” for overall excellent performance to Muhammad Ebrahim Naeem and Mahnoor Siddiqui, “Mohammad Idrees Medal” for Best Debater to Areesha Ehsan, “Daud Ilyas Medal” for outstanding intermediate student to Muhammad Arham Tarik, “Dr. Saida Karamat Medal” for Best Woman Graduate to Izza Sajid, “Waleed Iqbal Medal” for Best Parliamentary Speaker to Shahjahan Tahir and Ayesha Khalid, “Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif Medal” for Best Urdu Speaker to Zohaib Alam and “Madeeha Gohar Medal” for the Best Female Actor to Taseer Fatima and Zainab Zaman, “Tariq Salman Khan Farani Medal” for best music student to Wajid Mukhtar, while “Thespian Medal” for excellent performance in Dramatics was conferred upon Irtiza Aslam and Salman Tahir.