Environmental awareness, nature conservation GCU, WWF ink agreement

Government College University, Lahore and world-wide Fund for Nature - Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) have joined hands for environmental awareness and nature conservation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in this regard by GCU Vice Chancellor, Professor Khalid Aftab and WWF-Pakistan Director General, Ali Hasan Habib, here on Monday at GCU Syndicate Committee Room.
WWF-Pakistan, under the agreement, would also provide internships, jobs and volunteer work to GCU undergraduate and postgraduate students in its various environmental and nature conservation projects. GCU Career Guidance and Placement Officer would recommend students twice a year for the three-month WWF-Pakistan volunteer programmes.
Besides, the WWF-Pakistan would also offer jobs and internships to the bright Ravians. The GCU and WWF-Pakistan would also jointly explore and work on nature conservation projects. Addressing the ceremony, Professor Dr Aftab said that environmental education plays a vital role in fostering a sense of individual responsibility towards nature, and WWF's collaboration with educational institutions would prove a vital step in creating a new generation of environmentally conscious individuals.
He further said working with WWF would enable the university students generate an insight into the overall challenges to the eco-dynamics. "Besides, it would also enhance career and education prospects of the students," he added. Expressing his views, WWF-Pakistan Director General, Ali Hasan Habib said WWF has been working in Pakistan for the last 40 years to conserve nature and the ecological process. It has successfully executed several nature conservation projects with GCU's Pakistan Botanic Gardens Networks Secretariat and Sustainable Development Study Centre and appreciates the varsity's continual commitment to keeping issues of conservation at the forefront of its students' minds.
Habib said WWF-Pakistan is concentrating on its membership campaign these days, so that these members can become their force against the anti-environment steps being taken by various corporate sectors. He revealed than 25 percent population of Netherlands is member of WWF-Netherlands and if any company launches anti-environment projects there, these members boycott their products immediately.