SARGODHA: The University of Sargodha (UoS) and the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, Sargodha region, on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to garner input of the youth to eradicate corruption from the country.

The first-ever MoU of any public university with the ACE Punjab was signed by Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad, the vice chancellor of the varsity, and Asim Raza, ACE regional director.

Former foreign minister Inamul Haq, senior faculty members, administrative staff and students of the Communication and Media Studies were present at the ceremony.

The agreement will facilitate the collaborative work in the areas of capacity building, practical projects for students on public relations, media management, documentary productions and social media campaigns.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad said: “Our primary mission is to produce graduates with right knowledge and exposure so that they may be able to join the professional world right after the completion of their university education. For the purpose, we have introduced certain compulsory courses including Citizenship Education and Community Engagement and are providing the students with hands-on experience through workshops and practical activities.”

Mr Inamul Haq said it’s unfortunate that due to materialistic approach in society, everybody was trying to mint maximum money without considering the legal sources of income.

“We need to reconsider this approach and combat corruption at every level. The initiative taken by the Sargodha University for engaging the youth in anti-corruption activities should be replicated throughout the country,” he suggested.

Asim Raza said the agreement would have a strong impact on the overall performance of the ACE as it would bridge the gap between academia and anti-corruption watchdogs.

“We are providing learning opportunities and platforms to the youth for polishing their skills and contributing towards the socioeconomic development of the country,” he said.

Under the agreement, both parties agreed to organise trainings, seminars and collaborative initiatives for capacity building of students and researchers. They also agreed upon conducting joint research projects and related activities and organising orientation sessions with students on campaigns about eradication of corruption.

The UoS will provide interns to be engaged by the ACE Sargodha region in different campaigns and activities and the accountability watchdog will include them in the relevant Punjab Portal. Both will designate a focal person from each side to develop and coordinate on specific programmes or activities.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2019