Hamdard University has conferred degrees and gold medals upon 1400 graduating students of its seven facilities at the 23rd convocation, here on Saturday. Hamdard University Chancellor Sadia Rashid presided over the event held at Madina-tul- Hikmah, main campus of the university.
As many as 190 students were awarded M.Phil and 10 Ph.D degrees while 8 best students received Hakim Mohammed Said gold medals and 34 Hamdard University gold medals on their good performance throughout the academic year. President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi addressed the convection as chief guest.
He said knowledge-based economy is the key to progress in today's world and if we want to drive our nation out of poverty we have to promote education, knowledge and reduce poverty as has been done by China. He urged that it is responsibility of all, including himself and in particular the graduated students to work for what he suggested. He said Hamdard University was founded by a great man, Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said whose motto of the life was to serve the nation and humanity at large. He had travelled as economy class passenger when he was Sindh Governor and nations are built by such icons.
"Pakistan is a country that hosts 3.5 million Afghan refugees with respect. We welcomed them. We are proud of that and everyone should take pride in this brotherly gesture - as there is no other country in the world which took such a huge burden for decades," he asserted.
President Alvi urged the students they should work hard with honesty and integrity like the founder of their university. He said Allama Iqbal also gave this message. He said Pakistan is a great country and students should make it greater.
Chancellor Sadia Rashid congratulated the students and said it was her firm belief that those who worked with integrity and honesty of purpose, never fail. She cited that Abdul Sattar Edhi started with one solitary van, but how a fleet of Edhi Ambulances cover the whole country now.
"Your own University's founder Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, began his clinic with two rented rooms with rented furniture and saw around 5 million patients without charging any fee by the time he was martyred, so you too don't need a fortune to make a beginning which leads to success," she emphasised.
She said students must not forget that parents, teachers and university's management played their role in guiding and enabling them to reach this wonderful stage of their life; so, she advised them to step forward confidently. She her, their parents and teachers' prayers were for them: "May God bless you with all the success."
Earlier, Prof Dr Shabibul Hasan presented annual report. He said since its inception in 1992, Hamdard University, being the biggest university in private sector having over 8000 students, has made enormous development in all the major fields and its all seven faculties had come to hold key positions everywhere in the occupational sectors.
He mentioned two specific achievements of last year: signing of MoUs with Oklahoma City University (USA) and University Teknologi PERTONAS (Malaysia) for academic collaboration.
Hamdard University published over 480 research papers which appeared in peer-reviewed journals indexed by Thomson, Reuters, ISI Web knowledge recognised by HEC, he said.
In light of Prime Minister's Green Pakistan campaign, Hamdard University had initiated Plantation Drive in various parts of the city. Hamdard University deserves praise for being the first university in Pakistan which had taken an imitative by installing a 500KW solar power plant in its campus last year and the aim was to contribute to minimise shortage of electricity in the country.
"In light of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said's teachings, it is ensured by the Hamdard University that no brilliant and deserving student is deprived of education due to financial constraints and for this purpose, scholarships to the extent of Rs 65 million, are granted to deserving students, Dr Shabibul Hasan said. He asserted that the graduates would bring hope for this country. He wished they be crowned with abundant success.