The chief of the naval staff, Admiral Shahid Karimullah, was the chief guest at the ceremony, while vice chancellor of the University of Peshawar, conferred degrees on the graduates who constituted the last batch of institute’s students registered with the university.
After the launching of the Bahria University, the students of the BIM&CS are now registered with it, instead of Peshawar University.
In all, since 1995, 791 students of the Bahria College, later turned to the BIM&CS, have graduated and have been conferred degrees by the University of Peshawar.
A large number of naval officers, educationists and parents of the graduates were present at the convocation, while another about 37 students were conferred degrees in absentia.
Those who were awarded medals and certificates by the CNS included Khadija Butt (MCS, gold), Shafia Fatima Rizvi (MCS, gold), M Farrukh Pasha (BCS-Hons, gold), Kiran Mughal (BCS-Hons, Silver) and Asma Awan (BBA-Hons, gold).
In his address, Admiral Shahid underlined the performance of the BIM&CS. He said it was heartening to see that the Bahria University and its constituents units, including the BIMS at Karachi, grew into centres of higher learning and repute in a short span of time.
Congratulating the graduates, he advised them to develop in themselves a strong character, sense of dedication, commitment, patriotism and pride in their achievements.
Referring to the changes taking place during the years, he mentioned to the graduates that the events after 9/11 and latest attack on Iraq were sure to shape up the destiny of the region in which they lived.
In a situation when a roadmap to a sound and secure destiny cannot be given by anyone, it were the graduates who could excel in providing a responsible leadership and demonstrate their potential for the benefit of young and old alike, he observed.
He also lauded the services of vice admiral Masood M Biabani, ex-rector of the Bahria University, right from the conception to a very recent past of the university. Vice Admiral (Retd) Fayyaz- ur-Rehman, has taken over as new rector of the university over a month ago.
In his report, the director of BIM&CS, Captain (Retd) Ahmed Zaheer, that the institute had also started a four-year BS Economics Programme, under the management science department.
He informed the audience that apart from conducting academic programmes, the institute had also been providing testing services to outside agencies, including the health department of Sindh which sent 8,000 candidates seeking admissions to medical colleges of the province.
The vice chancellor of the University of Peshawar, Dr S Zulfiqar Hussain Gilani, recalled the association of the Bahria College and Bahria institute and termed it highly productive.
He said that despite the fact that the formal registration of BIM&CS students with his university had stopped, he understood that some sort of collaboration and academic links would be developed between the two institutions in the times to come.