Mohammad Ali Jinnah University

The great success of our first Convocation, held in 2002, posed considerable challenges for the committee appointed to make plans for the Second Convocation 2003. All concerned expected the arrangements for the second convocation to out-shine the first one – by a long margin. It was indeed an uphill task but with the help of God Almighty and the support of all faculty members, administration and the students, the Committee succeeded in putting up such a graceful and dignified show that it will henceforth be deemed as a standard of excellence in this particular regard. All academic institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will strive to match its elegance in the future.

The tireless efforts, complete dedication and utter sincerity of the convocation committee has made the Second Convocation 2003, held on 15 November 2003, a memorable event.

Just as in the past year, the exuberance of the students, faculty and management was quite insuppressible. Long before the actual date of the convocation, the somber looking building of the Campus was transformed into a colorful edifice announcing the event and congratulating the graduates. It is a testimony to the maturity of all concerned that glamour was not sacrificed for solemnity; nor was petty joviality permitted to cloud the dignity of the event.

The grand procession led by EVP, followed by the Chief Guest Honorable Federal Minister Incharge Science and Technology Professor Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, Chairman Higher Education Commission, Dr. Samar Mubarik Mand - Chairman NESCOM and Chancellor Mian Amer Mahmood – the Administration- Board of Governors- Faculty and the graduating students of M.A.J.U. entered the Convention Hall with all fervor and dignity befitting the occasion.
The National Anthem was played and everyone took their seats.
At the request of the Stage Secretary, the Chief Guest declared the Convocation open.
Recitation of the Holy Quran was done by Haroon-ur-Rashid, followed by its translation.
Executive Vice President, gave an update on the developments that had taken place in various segments of the university. He outlined the major achievements of the last year, aimed at enhancing the academic excellence, and the reputation of the University.
Dr. Abdul Wahab, President of M.A.J.U., advised the students to pay their positive roles as good citizens and professionals in order to contribute positively to Pakistan’s journey to a model of democracy, prosperity, equality and good governance.
Dean Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences, presented the graduating students of BBA, M.Com and MBA to the Chancellor.
Dean Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, presented the graduating students of BS and MS.
The worthy Chancellor, at the request of the Deans, authorized the President of M.A.J.U. to confer the degrees on to the graduating students.
The President then conferred the degrees to a total of 159 graduating students.
The proud graduates gracefully lined up and came forward in a disciplined and graceful manner to receive their degrees from their Chancellor, Mian Amer Mahmood.
Dr. Samar Mubarik Mand addressing the students reiterated the importance of Science in today’s world. He appreciated the efforts of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University in the field of Research and Development and hoped that the NESCOM’s collaboration with M.A.J.U. will go a long way in helping Pakistan move towards its objective of being a developed nation.
The Chief Guest, Professor Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman delivered his address, which was very informative about the state of higher education in Pakistan.
The Chief Guest awarded the gold and silver awards to the outstanding position holders.
The Convocation was formally declared closed.
The Chancellor presented the university crest to the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honor.
The Executive Vice President presented the university crest to the Chancellor.
The procession left the hall with the same grace it had entered with.
The evening ended with a sumptuous Iftar cum dinner

It was a sight for the sore eyes to witness the gleaming faces of the graduating students and their proud parents congratulating each other, as well as the faculty and administration of the university for their wonderful achievements.

All the strenuous rehearsals, long tedious hours spent on making arrangements during Ramadan, the attention paid to a million functional details, the energy-sapping efforts to ensure best results, were all handsomely rewarded by the comments of the guest and participants of the ceremony. These comments served as a morale booster for the management team who had spared no efforts in ensuring the success of this mega event.

A total of 159 students were awarded degrees in the 2nd Convocation. On the basis of outstanding academic performance, following students were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals:

Excerpts from speech by Dr. Ata-ur-Rahman, Chief Guest
The era in which we are living is an era of knowledge and it will be a gross betrayal on our part if we sit contended after merely receiving degrees and do not explore new horizons of knowledge and learning.

We are living in a rapidly changing world where the only constant is change, and the best way to manage change is the utilization of our real resources. We can unleash our creativity through various mechanisms including realizing the enormous potential that each one of us actually possesses. Therefore, we should never close our eyes to the most modern educational and scientific methods and we should equip our selves with them for our survival.

Excerpts from speech by Dr. Samar Mubarik Mand, Guest of Honor
When NESCOM came in contact with M.A.J.U. we carried out an in-depth study of their programs, and their standard of imparting education in different subjects. We studied the qualification of the faculty members; the consistency with which the university is holding its position, imparting its degrees, and conducting its convocation, etc. - everything came into our calculation besides the name and standing of this esteemed university. We have sponsored students at both Masters and Ph D levels in Computer Science and Communication at M.A.J.U.

Today you got the degrees, it’s time to help repay the nation what nation and your parents have invested in you for the past so many years. And how you best repay the nation is to inculcate in you at least three of these guiding principles:

The first and the foremost is professional confidence which all of you have earned by qualifying from this prestigious university. The second, when you get in good jobs, it will be the time of test for all of you. What ever you have learned in your education will need to be delivered to prove yourself. The third thing is that we all must realize the importance of the right temperament in life.

Excerpts from speech by Mian Amer Mahmood, Chancellor
At M.A.J.U. we take our dreams very seriously. We realize the gravity of the responsibility placed on our shoulders and the enormity of the task that still lies ahead. We fully appreciate that our role is to create and sustain quality in imparting of academic and professional excellence – this excellence comes about only through investment in faculty, facilities, technology, and curriculum. We are making these investments because we want our great nation to progress beyond its stagnating status of a developing country to its rightful place among developed nations.

Education is a very important instrument and while it offers no instant remedies, it works slowly and diligently towards awakening nation’s creative potentials. It is the most formidable tool for man’s survival and progress. You have been equipped with the foundation and it is your responsibility to build upon this foundation.

The knowledge you have acquired places heavy responsibility on your shoulders. While enjoying the fruits of your hard work, do not forget your country. While playing your role as a professional you must contribute to the welfare of the society.

In the modern world knowledge becomes obsolete very fast. Continue adding to your knowledge. Mohammad Ali Jinnah University will be known by the performance you show in practical life.

We are rising to the challenges of the twenty-first century. I would state that M.A.J.U. has three focal points in its planning: the first is of course the range of programs. Our programs are tailored not for the popular market but for the real needs of our country’s economy and manpower development. Over the recent past, we have introduced programs in such diverse fields as social sciences bio-informatics, economics and finance. The second point is training. No fee is charged for these training programs. We believe this is our contribution to the development of professional manpower, which is enriching the society as a whole. And finally, the third focal point for our endeavors is research. We are deeply conscious of the fact that research and development are the main tools countries use to transform their developing economies into developed nations. We are investing heavily in facilities, technology and faculty development to promote research in meaningful and purposeful areas.