LAHORE, Feb 1: The students of the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, with international organisation ‘Teach for Pakistan’ will teach public schools’ students improving their communication skills and knowledge besides developing their personality confidence.

This was stated by GCU faculty of science and technology dean Prof Dr Ikramul Haq at a meeting of GCU BS (Honours) final-year students on Wednesday.

Prof Haq said the varsity’s ‘Career Guidance and Placement Centre’ would sign an agreement with ‘Teach for Pakistan’ to assign teaching assignments to best of GCU volunteers at different under-resourced schools. He said volunteer teachers would coach, educate and motivate public schools’ students through modern teaching methodologies. He said that over 100 Ravians had volunteered for teaching at government schools.

‘Teach for Pakistan’ director recruitment Mariaum Ahmad said volunteers would also pay scholarship to the selected students taught at these schools. She said she hoped that every year, dozens of Ravians would teach at public schools in the country.

AWARD: The GCU has won the Best Library Award 2012 and 224 latest key publications from the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), Cambridge, UK.

Chief Librarian Abdul Waheed said that 224 most recent reputed publications awarded by the ISSR, UK, to the GCU were on natural sciences and spirituality.

SEMINAR: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has said on Wednesday killing innocent people cannot be called jihad or martyrdom.

At a seminar on ‘Philosophy of Martyrdom’ organised by the university administration at Environmental Law Centre’s auditorium on Wednesday, Prof Kamran said a firm belief that honour and dishonour, livelihood and life and death were in the hands of Allah made one powerful and fearless. He said the life and teachings of Hazrat Imam Husain (RA) taught us to always stand by the truth.

He said a war among civilizations was looming as the US had completed preparations for attack on Iran. He said the supremacy of the US rule would be determined in the battlefields of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.

Former Jamaat-i-Islami MPA and PU syndicate member Syed Ehsanullah Waqas stressed the students to present a true picture of Islam through their character and conduct.

He said jihad was not about winning lands or money but it was the name of keeping the flag of Allah high. He said the Muslims should get benefit from the mission of Hazrat Imam Husain (RA).

He said jihad was a great part of Islam and Hazrat Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had himself wished for martyrdom.

Religious scholar Dr Ali Murtaza Zaidi said humans were created to develop the characteristics of Asma-i-Husna. He said that there should be a reflection of the names of Allah in our characters.

He said Hazrat Imam Husain (RA) wanted to exalt the humanity and his life gave us the message to live with respect and freedom. He said the Muslims should choose their heroes from Islamic history.

Dr Muhammad Saad Siddiqui also spoke on the occasion.

PU: The Punjab Higher Education department has appointed Punjab University history department chairman Prof Dr Qalb-i-Abid dean faculty of arts and humanities and Institute of Education and Research’s Centre for English Language Teaching and Linguistics chairman Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal as dean faculty of education, for three years each.

DISTINCTION: Saman Bur Aftab, student of Punjab University’s political science department, got the first division in the MA (International Relations) annual examination for 2011 as well as set a new record by securing 720 marks out of 1000.

A PU spokesman says that it is a distinction to score these marks in a subject of social science.

BCOM: The Punjab University has notified that the BCom, Part-I annual examinations for 2012 will begin from June 7, while Part-II examinations will begin from June 8.