MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said global challenges can be met by competitive education and government is giving special focus on quality education.
Speaking to the inauguration ceremony of Air University Multan Campus, the Prime Minister said that it has been his fervent desire and consistent endeavour to address the grievances of Southern Punjab and opening of Air University campus is a major step in that direction.
He said the establishment of this Campus is in line with the contributions of the Gilani family in the areas of education and health.
Referring to the services of his father rendered in the fields of education and health, the Prime Minister said that his father played central role in getting district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) established in many areas such as Multan, Mianwali, Muzzafargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan. In addition to these, his father was also the leading spirit behind the establishment of Nishtar Hospital and medical College Multan.
He said his father laid the foundation-stone of LSMF medical school in Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur and worked hard for Anjman-e-Islamia Multan and other educational institutions along with his brothers.
The Prime Minister said today knowledge supplants land, labour and capital. Knowledge about the latest technologies, about the latest research, and contribution to these bodies, can help Pakistan move forward.
"Our reliance on the developed countries for advanced knowledge and technology adversely affects our economy due to different environment which demands indigenous solutions," he said.
The Prime Minister said it would go a long way to meet international standards of education, and to groom our students to understand the diversity of the global environment and challenges of globalization.
To provide education to each citizen of this country is a mammoth task, he said and added that the government is making all-out efforts to increase the literacy rate.
He said by increasing the social capital of the country they can move on and earn a respectable place in the comity of nations.
The Prime Minister said there is a need to focus on the provision of holistic education to the students, so that they maintain not only their religious and cultural identity but also address the challenges of tomorrow at the same time.
The Prime Minister lauded the role of Air University in presenting quality education in various fields of academics and extracurricular activities as well as providing an environment that is quite conducive for learning.
About the requirement of adequate piece of land and proportionate funds for establishment of a permanent campus of the Air University like advanced engineering and hostel accommodation for students, staff and faculty at the new Multan Campus, the Prime Minister assured funds for sitting up of new the campus and hostels.
He said vast land and building of Walayat Hussain Islamia College could also be used for new campus of the Air University. He on the occasion also ordered to get vacate the 33 kanals encroached land of the Islamia College so that it could become a state of the art university.
The Prime Minister also directed to start aeronautical engineering classes in the university as soon as possible.
He added that hostel accommodation on campus will make accessible to students of Southern Punjab who are not based in Multan.
Gillani said the growth of Air University in disciplines of social sciences, basic and applied sciences and business administration in addition to the vital fields of engineering, will augment image as an institution responding to the socio-economic requirements of this region.
Prime Minister Gilani said broadband internet facilities will be provided to each union council of the country where information centers will be set up.
Earlier, Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman in his speech said sitting up Air University campus here will play a long role in fulfilling requirements of the local population in spreading quality education.
He said Air University is a young university but second to none in delivering quality education in the country.
Vice Chancellor of Air University Ijaz Ahmed Malik also spoke on the occasion.
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