KARACHI, Dec 29: The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology on Thursday held its convocation-2011 for 3,383 students who passed their BS and Masters exams in 2010.

Around 600 students who turned up at the convocation held at the Expo Centre were awarded degrees in five faculties — Arts, Science, Business Administration and Commerce, Pharmacy and Law.

This year Fuuast also awarded 17 PhD and one MPhil degrees. The recipients of the PhD degrees included Dr Muhammad Tayyab Khan, Dr Muhammad Bilal, Dr Zahid Shah and Dr Khadam Hussain (Islamiat), Dr Ismail Moosa and Dr Syed Shoaib Akhtar (Political Science), Dr Muhammad Abdul Malik (Social Work), Dr Razi Rahi (Urdu ), Dr Syed Nawaz Al-Huda (Geography), Dr Waseem Ahmed (Bio Chemistry), Dr Waqar ul Haq, Dr Muhammad Fahim and Dr Aalia Abbas (Botany), Dr Tanveer Fatima and Dr Imrana Shabbir (Zoology), Dr Kosar Yaasmin (Chemistry) and Dr Syed Iqbal Aalam (Micro Biology). The MPhil degree was awarded to Kashif Bin Zaheer.

As many as 113 Fuuast graduates were awarded gold medals for their outstanding performance in their BS and Masters examinations. Besides, two MSc students, Mussarrat Al-Ain of Zoology and Aatira Muhammad Ali of Mathematics departments, who topped among all the five faculties, and a BS student, Humaira Mehmood of Botany, who clinched the top position among all the faculties, were awarded the 'Begum Anees Dehlvi Gold Medal'.

Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) chairman Dr Manzoor Hussain Soomro was the chief guest at the convocation, which was presided over by Fuuast vice chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser. A large number of faculty members and parents of graduating students attended the convocation.

Speaking at the ceremony, PSF chairman Prof Soomro said that the foundation would provide funds for scientific research projects of the university, and hoped that such steps would strengthen the industry-academia relationship.

Felicitating the graduating students, he urged them to work hard for the promotion of scientific research in their respective fields for the benefit of the country and the nation.

He also congratulated the faculty and staff of the university for organising the convocation in a disciplined manner.

Fuuast vice chancellor Prof Qaiser highlighted the importance of higher education for the progress and prosperity of the country, saying that consistent progress made by Pakistan in the sphere of higher education was appreciated by the neighbouring countries, including India.

He congratulated the graduating students, as well as their parents, and wished them all success in their careers.

He said more than 13,000 students were enrolled in more than 40 departments and different programmes of the university, where more than 400 teachers, including over 100 PhDs and more than 50 MPhil faculty members, were available.

The publication department of the university, he added, had translated more than 43 books during the year while more than 50 books were in the process of publication.

Fuuast registrar Prof Dr Qamar-ul-Haq also spoke.

Dr Waqar-ul-Haq and Azadi Fateh conducted the convocation proceedings.