President General Pervez Musharraf has announced a grant of Rs 100 million for the Punjab University teachers' houses. While addressing the 115th convocation of the university here on Monday, he said the Punjab University is the oldest seat of learning and it has a great name.
He laid emphasis on Ph.D. programme saying that at present there are more than 10,000 faculty members in all the universities of the country, out of which only 3,000 are Ph.D. Whereas in the developed world and also in India, the university faculty members are 100 percent Ph.D.
The Ph.D. programme launched by the Higher Education Commission needs to be given preference, he said and added that we could meet the ultimate target in 10 years if we produce 1,500 Ph.D. every year.
He said that there is no doubt that the PU is contributing effectively to the human resource development, a line that leads towards prosperity of Pakistan. We need to take a very holistic development in the education sector. He said that the literacy level in the country is pathetically low and it has to be improved. The government is contributing to education at universities, colleges, primary and secondary levels, he added.
Musharraf said that we are in the process of resolving issue of Urdu and English medium of instructions in the educational institutions but there would be no division of English and Urdu medium schools due to importance of both the languages. Both Urdu and English subjects would be taught simultaneously in all schools, he added.
About the subject of Islamiat, he said that we must not teach Islamiat, which creates divisions and conflicts. He said that consideration should be given to the essence not rituals of religion. Syllabus of Islamiat needs to be made more important, he added. "We are going to give importance to science and technology.
To meet the future needs, we are establishing six universities of international standard in the country with the collaboration of Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands and South Korea by the year 2008 and out of these 3 will be in the Punjab province each in Lahore, Sialkot and Multan. These universities will meet the international requirements in terms of syllabus, examinations and faculty, he maintained.
Discussing the blasphemous issue, he said "I was sad on the incident of The Mall road, is this the sense of spreading Islam, is that our sense to showing the West, is this the way for condemning, it only harms us adding that there is no foreign threat to Pakistan."
Congratulating the students who are awarded degrees and medals, the President said, "They need to develop a wholesome personality, which consists of three elements ie intellectual development, physical development and moral development. The moral development includes honesty, truthfulness, contentment, humanity and social development." He said that I have confidence and pride that Pakistanis are the most brilliant people of the world, therefore we must not suffer from pessimism and cynicism."
Earlier, he awarded degrees and medals to the graduating students. Speaking on the occasion Governor/Chancellor Khalid Maqbool said that today the higher education in the Punjab is a success story and the number of universities has doubled.
Also there is an enormous increase in the Ph.D. He said that Punjab University has the quality to achieve excellence and standards therefore, it must act as a vanguard of quality and must set intellectual traditions to promote culture of dialogue. He stressed on the university-industry linkages.
Earlier, Vice chancellor Arshad Mahmood briefly gave an overview and comparative analysis of the development carried out in the university. He said that the government of President General Pervez Musharraf took keen interest in education sector, launched a number of reform initiatives, including establishment of National Task Force on Higher Education, creation of Higher Education Commission, appointment of Chancellor's Steering Committee, and unprecedented allocation of Rs 11.70 billions for higher education, which is over 2,700 percent higher than any of the previous governments since independence.
He said PU established a campus at Gujranwala, restructured faculties from 9 to 13, raised 6 new constituent colleges, launched 21 new departments, started 31 new programmes in newly emerging disciplines in existing departments, added over 270 teachers through merit-based selection criteria, student body increased by over 24,000 and 129 colleges were granted affiliation. He said PU is the first public university to lay 6-Km Fibre Optic Cable Network in 2001 which has now grown to over 28 Km, he added.
He said during 50 years from 1948-98 PU produced 740 Ph.D., average 15 per year and in science 244 average 5 per year. During the last 6 years PU produced 242 Ph.D., average 42 per year, and in science 119, average 20 per year. The university has planned to produce 100 Ph.D. annually. Over 800 Ph.D. candidates are registered, out of which 124 are teachers. He said criteria of transparent and merit-based selection of teachers has been adopted. From 2000 to 2006, over 200 selection boards were held as against 35 from 1995 to 1999.
He said in the financial year 1999, scholarships were of only Rs 3.4 million for 1,000 students, which have been increased to over 45 million, for over 5,000 needy and talented students. He said PU main library has over 500,000 books and 35,000 manuscripts, which did not have a single computer in 1999. It has now been fully computerised and is on Wide Area Network with 120 state of the art computers.
Over 18,000 on-line full text foreign journals are available free of cost to the teachers, students and researchers. He said in research projects PU identified and cloned BT genes in cotton and rice to breed genetic resistance against insects. Field trials are promising. Developed DNA based diagnostic procedures for Hepatitis B and C. Produced certified disease-free potato seeds with 3 times higher yield and are selling to Punjab Seed Corporation.
He further said that Hybrid Vegetable Research Farms have been established and trials are in hand to develop hybrid seeds in our lab.
He said PU won 353 out of 396 individual prizes and trophies in co-curricular activities. He said to provide relief to earthquake victims, PU donated relief goods worth Rs 4.5 millions. In addition, teachers, staff and students donated Rs 10 million to the relief fund.
PU also installed FM 104.6 PU radio station at Muzaffarabad for mental rehabilitation of earthquake victims. The university budget was Rs 638 millions in 1999 which was increased to Rs 1,824 million in 2006 whereas the recurring grant was increased from Rs 218 million to Rs 727 million. PU own income has increased from Rs 419 million in 1999 to Rs 1,096 million in 2006.
HEC Chairman Attaur Rehman was also present on the occasion. Khalid Maqbool awarded degrees to PhD holders and President awarded 22 gold medals to various students, who achieved top positions in various examinations.
Earlier the President was brought to the convocation hall in an academic procession led by Registrar Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan. The procession included members syndicate, senate and all the senior faculty of the university.
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