129 graduates awarded medals, 5000 get degrees 

Chancellor Malik Rafique Rajwana, VC Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Dr Muhammad Ali, Dr Rauf-e-Azam grace event

GUJRAT: Around 5,000 graduating students of various departments as well as Nawaz Sharif Medical College were awarded degrees and medal at the University of Gujrat (UoG) 4th convocation held at Hafiz Hayat Campus on February 18, 2016.

Chancellor Malik Rafiq Rajwana and Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum conferred degrees upon 2269 students who graduated in the academic session ending in 2013, and a further 2803 students graduating in the academic session ending in 2014. Moreover, 129 students from various disciplines were awarded

with gold medals for exceptional performance.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Govt College University Faisalabad VC Dr Muhammad Ali Shah and University of Education Lahore VC Dr Rauf-e-Azam also graced the event and they honoured the gold medalists.

Governor Punjab Malik Rafiq Rajwana said, “This is, no doubt, a landmark achievement for all of you. But, remember, this is not the end. You owe a lot to your society and your country.” The governor said that the terrorism has been defeated on almost every front by our armed forces. He also said that the government had stepped up efforts for permanent peace in the region. “We want permanent peace in the entire region, genuine peace and stability in our country and in the neighbourhood, including India and Afghanistan,” he said, adding that the government believed in solving all the matters of dispute with India through dialogue.
HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that the government was spending more in the higher education sector to promote quality education. He said the government had doubled its funding to education sector as compared to 2013.He said that there were a total of 178 universities in both the public and private sector of the country.
“Our youth possess a tremendous potential. It is a matter of great pride for us that our graduates have made a mark in foreign universities,” Dr Mukhtar said. He said that apart from education we should also promote tolerance in our society.
UoG VC Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum said,“the success of a nation is determined by the achievements and advancement of its people in the skills and knowledge in various fields of life. All our efforts here at the UoG are aimed at promoting quality education to strengthen the social and economic foundations of Pakistan by preparing the new generation to serve and lead the country in a better way.He said that the UoG had set up an Endowment Fund for deserving students. A Business Incubation Centre (BIC) has also been set up to promote entrepreneurship among the students. The UoG’s Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) and the Centre for Languages and Translation Studies (CeLTS) have been actively playing their part for the social development of the country.
He called upon the government of Punjab to generously support the university to further help strengthen the UoG cause of higher education.
The University of Gujrat (UoG) has established itself as one of the important seats of higher education in the country. There are 26,000 enrolled students in six faculties. Its Institute of Hotel and Restaurant Management (IHRAM) is offering Pakistan’s first hospitality management degree programme and the School of Arts, Design and Architecture (SADA) has also earned a big name in the country. The UoG Nawaz Sharif Medical College

(NSMC) is fully equipped with the state-of-the-art medical diagnostic and therapeutic tools and is serving as a healthcare facility for the people of Gujrat and adjacent areas, said UoG spokesman Sheikh Abdur Rasheed.