LAHORE: As many as 243 PhD, 101 MS/MPhil, 63 Master’s and 74 undergraduate degrees were awarded to the students at the 129th convocation of the Punjab University on Saturday.

Officials say this is the highest number of PhD degrees the PU has awarded in one year.

Eighty-four medals were distributed among the undergraduate students, 98 among master’s students and 127 among MPhil/MS students.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, European Union Parliament’s Vice President Fabio Massimo Castaldo, whom the PU awarded Honorary PhD degree in the subject of law during convocation, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad and other senior functionaries besides deans, faculty members and students and their parents were present.

Mr Sarwar said the West should learn from Pakistan how to fight terrorism as it had defeated terrorists with valour and unprecedented sacrifices of the nation and law-enforcement agencies. He said Pakistani nation had rendered more sacrifices in war on terror than anyone else and the superpowers of the world had failed in Afghanistan but Pakistan had overcome terrorism.

He said Modi’s Indian Citizenship Act had turned the whole of India into Kashmir in which the minorities were being deprived of their rights. He said India had imposed curfew in the occupied Kashmir since 140 days and changed its status in violation of resolutions of the United Nations.

He said the government had done away with the culture of ad hoc appointments in universities and 20 vice chancellors had been appointed on merit for making the institutions of higher learning fully functional.

The governor said it was also a historic achievement that the PU had produced 243 PhDs in one year. He said the Punjab government was trying to bring the universities among top 500 institutions of the world.

Mr Massimo condemned human rights violations in the occupied Kashmir and India due to the Citizenship Act. He said they should stand with the people of Kashmir and Palestine who were facing atrocities. He said the future of the world was associated with education and it could prevent wars and produce tolerant people.

He thanked the PU administration for awarding honorary PhD degree and said he would always remember the love of Pakistanis.

PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad said the policy of merit, transparency and accountability was implemented in all the operations of the university and all statutory bodies were activated and their meetings being held regularly to run the affairs in a transparent manner. He said production of 243 PhDs in one year was a silent revolution and teachers and employees were promoted and appointed purely on merit.

He said initiatives were being taken to bring about academic revolution to improve international ranking of the university. He said relations were being established with foreign universities for collaboration in research and exchange of teachers and students.

He said that for the first time, reunion of alumni association of the university was organised and Baba Guru Nanak and Human Rights chairs had been established. He said that in order to achieve sustainable development goals, produce citizens with high moral values and for socioeconomic development of the country, the university had established three new teaching and research centres.

He said the PU administration was also making efforts to establish a state-of-the-art medical college.

Later, the governor presented the honorary PhD degree to Mr Massimo and souvenirs to the distinguished guests.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2019