LARKANA: Five were awarded gold medals from among total 149 students who received degrees at the 18th convocation of the Szabist University Larkana campus here on Wednesday.

Girls outshined boys in securing the gold and silver medals.

Chairmen of different departments presented batches and campus head Dr Zahid Abro conferred degrees on behalf of the chancellor. Of the recipients 99 were undergraduate students and 50 were of master’s degree programmes from the disciplines of management sciences, computer science and education. Sindh Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri graced the occasion as chief guest.

Addressing on the occasion, Dr Marri urged the graduating students to serve the country as it was lagging behind in the field of business and information technology. He urged the students to help uplift the interior areas of the country like Larkana. “You are graduating from a university that stands among the finest education institutions in our country,” he said, adding: “Our country faces myriad challenges from security issues and environmental concerns to economic disparities. It is now your insight, ingenuity and leadership to address these issues,” he said.

Total 149 students receive degrees

He said it was their hard work paired with their parents’ support and the unwavering love and dedication of the faculty that had prepared them to embark on the next phase of their life’s journey. “I am happy to note that the girls on the campus have secured majority of the medals,” he said.

The vice president of academics, Prof Dr Muhammad Altaf Mukati, inaugurated the convocation. He argued that in Pakistan, only two to three per cent of people had access to higher education, and Szabist was playing its part in boosting the literacy rate of the country.

Urging the students to participate in the economic development of the country, he said direction was important and not speed and asked them to be human beings, not to lose patience and be good listeners as well.

Gold, silvermedals

The gold medals were awarded to Ms Komal Mushtaq Ahmed Mahoto of the BBA, Haseebullah of the BSCS, Ms Surukhsha of the BSAF, Muhammad Noman of the MBA and Salman Ali of the MPM programme.

Five silver medals were awarded to Ms Kajal of BBA, Abdul Aziz of the BSCS, Aman of the BSAF, Ms Sadaf Haider of the MBA and Ms Sasui of the MPM programme.

Names of 37 students have also been placed on the “Chancellor’s Honor List” for securing a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) equal to or higher than 3.50.

Those who attended the ceremony included Administration Vice President Imtiaz Qazi, Computing and Engi-neering Sciences Dean Dr Imran Amin, Social Sciences Dean Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh and SZABIST University Registrar Dr Akil besides other faculty members, staff and parents.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2024