Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has said that the government is committed to facilitate universities in enhancing its abilities to achieve the highest goal of knowledge and maintain good governance at institutional level by upholding merit.
He was addressing the 11th convocation of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore held here on Thursday.
The Governor said food security, healthy environment and livestock production are the areas of priority for our country.
He urged the UVAS scientists to expedite their efforts to cope with the challenge of food insecurity and malnutrition. He said that academic research could move the country towards prosperity. Pakistan has great potential in livestock sector and we should try to increase the livestock production to feed our ever-increasing population.
He congratulated the graduating students on getting degrees and medals and urged them to work hard, respect their parents and teachers for success in practical life, serve humanity and play their due role in nation building. He lauded the progress achieved by the UVAS and won its place among top universities of Asia. He said that education is the top priority of the government and vice-chancellors of all universities are being appointed on merit.
Total 1,470 graduates were conferred degrees and 78 position-holders were awarded medals. Out of the graduating students, 222 were DVMs, 355 BS (Hons), 91 Pharm-D, 27 Doctors of Nutrition and Dietetics (DND), 42 MBAs, 24 MBAs (Executive), 11 MBF, 35 BBA (Hons), 233 MSc, 393 MPhil and 37 PhDs.
The Chancellor along with the Vice-Chancellor gave away degrees to PhD scholars and medals to the position-winning graduates.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani spoke about the academics, research, development, extension programmes, recent initiatives and community services of the university. He said with a history of 137 years of excellence, the UVAS is now among top Asian universities as per the higher education and QS World Universities Rankings. As per the Higher Education Commission sports ranking 2018, UVAS got 3rd position among public sector universities of Pakistan and 5th among all public and private universities of the country, the Vice-Chancellor said, adding that the UVAS is also among top 10 universities of Pakistan according to HEC overall ranking of Pakistani Higher Education Institutions.
Prof Rabbani said that UVAS is swiftly achieving the milestones of need-based multi-level education and establishing itself as talent development institution by using its knowledge, resources and skills for growth of human resources.
Minister for Livestock & Dairy Development Department Punjab Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak, adviser to CM Punjab on Livestock Faisal Hayat Jabwana, Secretary Livestock Punjab Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan, Vice-Chancellor University of Education Lahore (UE) Meritorious Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha and a large number of students, faculty members, industrialists from dairy & poultry and pharma industries and stakeholders were present.