LAHORE: The Second All Pakistan Summit for Students’ Societies, a conglomeration of the youth enrolled in public and private sector universities, is going to commence on Sunday (today) with a 5km marathon from the Governor House to the Govt College University.

For the first time, girls are also participating in the marathon for the 3km run from GPO Chowk to the university’s Clock Tower.

“During the six-day summit, the well-endowed students will demonstrate a variety of skills in exhibiting the concepts promoting compassion, spiritual elation, tolerance, empathy, civic responsibility, social parity, inclusive growth and national cohesion,” said Vice Chancellor Prof Asghar Zaidi on Sunday while presiding over a meeting of the organisational committee of the summit where he reviewed arrangements for intellectual discourses, co-curricular and sports activities.

The summit is being hosted by the GCU in collaboration with the Punjab Youth Affairs and Sports Department, non-government organisation Shaoor Foundation, Superior University, British Council and the University of Punjab.

Vice Chancellor Prof Zaidi believed that the week-long summit will also serve as a forum to showcase the functioning of numerous societies and clubs of the GCU to the rest of the world.

“It will also provide an opportunity to the students to develop leadership qualities and become harbingers of change at the national and international levels,” he said.

Besides debate contests, essay and poetry writing competitions, students mushaira and music concert, the week-long events include discussions among leading experts, scholars and students on wide-ranging topics of contemporary relevance to higher educational institutions.

The sports activities at the summit include a grand march past, cricket, hockey, squash, tennis and basketball matches.

Prof Zaidi said the purpose of the summit was to showcase, inspire and further promote our glorious tradition of creative and exploratory excellence.

Governor Balighur Rehman will chair a session on Dec 6, while Punjab Higher Education Minister Raja Yassir Hamayun will address the inaugural session on Monday (tomorrow).

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2022