LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday announced Rs100 million for the Government College University Endowment Fund Trust (GCU-EFT), saying the funds would be transferred to the varsity’s accounts by the week’s end.

The CM was addressing the first session of the GCU’s 15th Convocation, where among others the widow of Prof Rao Altaf Hussain, along with her minor son, also received the doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in zoology degree that her slain husband, who was an associate professor at the Government Science College, Wahdat Road, had completed just a week before his murder in November 2016.

According to the convocation report, as many as 1,686 students would receive medals, rolls of honour and degrees in the three sessions of the convocation.

In the first session, 216 of 386 MPhil/MS and 32 of 55 PhD degrees were conferred upon female students.

“The federal and provincial higher education commissions will jointly work and pool in their resources for the promotion of higher education in Punjab,” the CM said on the occasion.

He said the Punjab government would also provide financial support to GCU for development of its Kala Shah Kaku Campus, and he would personally look into why PC-I of the project was not yet approved.

He said the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund Trust would swell to Rs20 billion this year and would be awarding scholarships to the 200,000 bright students of the country.

“It’s the biggest endowment fund in the sub-continent,” he added.

The CM also appreciated the hard work and vision of the GCU vice chancellor, especially his activism for appointment of senior faculty, filling the vacant positions of professors and deans, and activating the research chairs and Abdus Salam School of Mathematics in a very short period of one and a half years.

Shahbaz Sharif, who is also an Old Ravian, felt nostalgic about his alma mater and told the students that: “l count my student days at this great seat of learning to be the most amazing period of my life. Allow me to say that whatever l have been able to achieve, the Government College played a leading role in shaping my personality and instilling in me the value of hard work and constant struggle,”

In his address, GCU VC Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah called upon the graduates to retain the core values of tolerance, justice, ingenuity, prudence and diligence that they acquired during their studies at the GCU and resist the onslaught of time which compelled them to compromise their values and succumb to various social pressures.

“You must bridge the gap between your ideals and the cruel realities of life. Your success lies in your endurance and perseverance,” he said.

He told the CM that the process of recruitment of staff against vacant positions in all the academic departments was expedited during the last one year. As a result, a total of 109 new appointments have been made which include 11 professors, 24 associate professors, 34 assistant professors and 40 lecturers.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2017