LAHORE, Sept 6: Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has said the ultimate justification of universities is that it must create new knowledge.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day international conference on “Research Methodology, New Trends and Integrative Approach from Bench to Bedside” organised by the PU College of Pharmacy, Higher Education Commission and the Pakistan Pharmacist Association on college campus here on Thursday.

The VC said the legislative verses in the Holy Quran are about 250 but the number of verses that direct a man to ponder upon nature are around 750.

He said Muslims were facing problems because of deviation from this particular direction of the Holy Quran.

He said it was regrettable that among Muslim countries, Pakistan stood fifth after Turkey, Iran, Egypt and Malaysia in scientific publications.

Dr Kamran said Pakistan had a very small number of PhDs and an average of only 24 per cent faculty members were PhDs in universities in Pakistan.

College of Pharmacy principal Prof Dr Syed Saeedul Hassan said the pharmacy was a life saving profession, adding that his college was producing about 200 pharmacists every year.

APPOINTED: The Punjab governor/chancellor of the Punjab University has appointed Dr SE Benjamin, professor of analytical and applied chemistry, as registrar of the Lahore College for Women University for a three-year term.

Dr Benjamin took charge of her office on Thursday.

Prof Benjamin is D.Phil (Oxford University, UK) and MSc (Punjab University) and had been the chemistry department head at FC College (2006-08).