MANSEHRA, May 28: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has said the education does not mean mere reading books but it is more than that and to achieve this goal, the universities must be the centres of wisdom and excellence.

“If we want back the lost glory of Muslims, we have to spend more on the education as currently higher education and universities are not given due share in budget resultantly merely one per cent youth could access universities in the country,” said Mr Kausar, while speaking at the 6th convocation of the Hazara University here on Monday.

“We need to march ahead with open mind in every field, whether it is energy sector or any other challenge of national, provincial and local nature and without any sort of differences and prejudices,” the governor added.

In all 700 graduates, including six PhDs and 30 M.Phils, in more than two dozen disciplines of science and arts were awarded degrees. About 75 of them received gold medals for achieving distinctive positions in their respective disciplines.

Naveed Khan was declared the best graduate of the university for the academic year 2010 while Mohammad Nawaz achieved this honour from amongst the students of private educational institutions affiliated to the university.

Maria Imran got the distinction of topping the university in the English literature as a private candidate.

Mr Kausar, who is also the chancellor of the university, further stated that the 21st century had dawned with challenges of greater nature as compared to the past and ‘we are firmly confident that both the faculty and the institutions like the Hazara University will enable us to achieve a respectable status among the comity of nations’.

The governor, who had earlier formally launched a model of solar hybrid car; a creation of the physics department of the university, was highly impressed of the spirit and

capabilities of the respective team of students and faculty members and announced a special prize of Rs50,000 for them.

He also assured to help in carrying further the project.

In fact, the governor said, ‘we need to correct the priorities especially in the field of education and though sufficient resources and importance is being put towards this particular sector presently yet it could not be described adequate as far as the present demands are concerned.

Referring to the points raised by the vice chancellor in his annual report, the governor said, the government was mindful of the incomplete construction projects and the pressing financial needs of the university and he will extend fullest support in overcoming them.