PESHAWAR, Nov 30: NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has aid that human resource development has become a priority for people of under-resourced regions like the NWFP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas as the day is not far when people equipped with knowledge in modern sciences would become a sought after commodity in the country and abroad.

Speaking as chief guest at the third convocation of the City University of Science and Information Technology here on Thursday, the governor said there was a visible shift from commodity-based economy to knowledge-based economy the world over.

This implied that regions deficient in resources, especially in respect of agriculture and industry, would have to depend more and more financially on their manpower, he said.

The manpower trained in the universities, he said, would ultimately become the agent of change, particularly for the people of their areas.

On the occasion, 158 graduates were awarded degrees, of whom 81 got masters degrees in computer science, information technology,

English, business administration and education and the rest bachelors degrees.

Besides, 12 graduates got gold medals for achieving distinctions in their disciplines.

Appreciating the contribution of the private sector, especially towards the promotion of higher education in the NWFP, the governor said: “Though we see good universities and institutes, fully equipped with latest facilities, working in the province, in view of the increasing population, there is need to do more.”

He stressed the need for increasing interaction between private and government universities. The governor appreciated the achievements of the City University and expressed the hope that the number of its students would increase and quality of education improve due to additional facilities and equipment.

He praised the efforts of the university management to enhance the number of PhD students.

The university’s President Abdul Saboor Sethi said it had provided Rs190 million in scholarships to 928 students.—APP