The federal government has given university status to prestigious National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore and decided to keep it with centre even after the devolution of Ministry of Education under the 18th Amendment.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made this announcement while addressing the 12th convocation of NCA here on Sunday.
"Since the college draws students from all parts of the country including Gilgit-Baltistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, it has been decided that the National College will stay with the Federal Government even after the devolution of the Ministry of Education under 18th Amendment," he said.
"In recognition of the immense contribution made by NCA to the arts and art education, it has also been decided to elevate it to the status of a University," he further announced and congratulated the principal, academic faculty and the students on elevation of the college to the status of University.
He said the NCA represented the finest expression of the values espoused by the Pakistan People's Party. "In our respective spheres we have struggled and raised our voice against tyranny, dictatorship and oppression. Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto believed that political empowerment of the people is not possible without the creation of an environment that allows the flowering of art and culture," he emphasised. Gilani further added that Benazir Bhutto used her two terms in office to reclaim cultural space, liberalise the media, and offer renewed hope for creative expression in Pakistan. Given this history, Pakistan's democratic government is committed to supporting the development of the arts in the country.
Commending contribution of NCA in the realm of fine arts, the prime minister said "the contemporary miniature movement emanating from the NCA has taken the international art world by storm, making Pakistani miniature painters figure prominently among the international artists and placing Pakistan on the artistic map of the world. Likewise, contemporary visual artists of the NCA have made a huge imprint and redefined the boundaries of their respective mediums. Similarly, the Pakistani urban landscape is dotted with the finest examples of cutting edge modern architecture conjured up on the drawing boards of architects trained by the NCA. Designers associated with the NCA have dominated in their respective fields. But that is not all. NCA's impact has not remained limited to state institutions or high culture. In recent years we have seen its alumni make their mark in popular culture not just as artists but also as musicians, media professionals and cultural commentators," he elaborated.
On this occasion, Gilani announced to regularise the services of all contractual employees of the college. This action will assist the opening of new permanent positions which is already a need of NCA. He also specifically relaxed the ban on recruitment of jobs for the National College of Arts so that it could carry forward its recruitment without suffering any more on academic score. He also announced Rs10 million each contribution for the pensioners' fund and the endowment fund. Earlier, in address of welcome, the prime minister was informed that the College was striving to address the requirements of the media industry through introducing instruction in the fields such as multi-media. Similarly, NCA's Musicology Department, the first of its kind in the country, was conducting research in Pakistan's rich music traditions
THE NCA has established link programmes for exchange of students and faculty with world's leading institutions such as the Ecole des Beaux Arts, France and the Princes School of Arts, UK. Such linkages promote further excellence in research and promotion of art education.
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