Speech by Executive Vice President Dr.M.Mansoor Ahmed

After welcoming the Chief Guest Mr.Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Dr.Ishfaq Ahmed Minister of State for and Advisor to the Prime Minister for Science and Technology, Chancellor Mian Amer Mahmood and other distinguished guests, students and parents, the Executive Vice President Dr. M. Mansoor Ahmed  said,“

It is indeed a great privilege and honor for me to  welcome you to the 6th Convocation of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University. I would like to congratulate the graduates of Convocation 2009 for achieving an important landmark in their life. I would like to congratulate their parents who sacrificed so much to ensure that their young ones are well educated. It is a worthwhile investment and I am confident that the future will justify the sacrifices you made.

A Convocation is a memorable and happy occasion for the graduating students. I, along with the members of the faculty, the management and your parents rejoice in your achievement. It is an important ceremony where society pays tribute to merit and growth of the future of our homeland. We feel proud to see your smiling faces hopes with a sense of achievement. This is the time when you redefine your priorities and become men and women with “a vision to succeed”. I would like to emphasize that the aim of education is not just attaining academic degrees, though that is important in its own way. However, real education goes farther, wider, and deeper into human consciousness. The role of education is not only to free you from intellectual bondage, but, to make you socially useful, and above all, to let you become a role model for your peers and those who will enter the arena later and emulate your example of higher achievement.

The University, over the years, has merged as an impressive seat of higher learning with extremely learned faculty members and teaching staff. It is heartening to mention that M.A.J.U. has come a long way since its modest beginning in 1998 from a few subjects to two full fledged faculties comprising six departments including those of Engineering, Computer Sciences, Bioinformatics, Finance and Economics, Management and Humanities.

Ladies and Gentlemen! We live in a world that is transforming very fast, and the quality of human resources has become a key to accelerating growth. Information is being processed at a rate that was not imaginable only a few years back. Any nation that does not possess the ability and the technology to gain and process vast amounts of information quickly will lag behind in the development process.

Universities, therefore, have a leading role to play to prepare a nation’s human resources by producing quality graduates to meet the demands of a competitive market. The function of a university is not confined to imparting knowledge but, more importantly to creating knowledge through R&D activities. It is pertinent to mention here that MAJU is currently involved in a number of high tech projects in collaboration with other universities and R&D organizations. We are recently engaged with an European consortium of six universities under its e-link program. In this program 31 M.A.J.U. scholars shall be placed in European Universities each for a period of 10 months. This will enable them to stay abreast with the first world technology.

Another important area, which MAJU is giving particular emphasis, is the dissemination and sharing of knowledge through a series of Continuing Education Programs such as seminars, workshops and conferences round the year. The University has successfully arranged two international conferences and currently it is working in collaboration with IEEE, on the third one to be organized by the end of this year.
I take this opportunity to record my deep appreciation for the efforts being made by the Chancellor and faculty members towards achieving academic excellence in the University.

I am glad to say that M.A.J.U. despite the prevailing adverse economic conditions, has concentrated on the construction of its new campus which hopefully will be completed, InshahAllah, by the end of this year. A continuous support in this connection by the Chancellor is highly commendable.

Honorable Chief Guest, it gives me great satisfaction to inform this august gathering that today the University is conferring degrees on more than 400 students, who will Inshallah,contribute towards scientific and technological development in the country. Our students are confident and live up to the expectations associated with them. They have proved that they have the ability, dignity, determination and commitment to succeed in their chosen professions.

I would also like to congratulate the graduating students particularly those who have distinguished themselves in their respective field of studies. This is a landmark in their life and a time to rejoice. It is also a day when all of us should pledge to continue on the mission of making a better Pakistan.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my profound gratitude to MAJU faculty and teaching staff for their dedication and commitment to the cause of education. It was their untiring efforts that made this graduation possible.

We are grateful to our chief guest, Mr.Qamar Zaman Kaira who has graced this occasion with his presence. It is a matter of pride and honor for us that he has taken time out from his hectic schedule to be with us on this momentous occasion. It is gratifying to know that the present government is following a policy of cooperation with the academic institutions in the private sector to advance the cause of higher education and to accelerate the pace of progress in this direction.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Dr.Ishfaq Ahmed, Minister of State and Advisor Science and Technology for sparing time and gracing the occasion. His presence here today is a matter of pride and honor for all of us.

Finally, once again I extend my heartiest congratulations to the graduating students and hope that they will contribute to the betterment of the society and the nation.

I have a conviction that the future of a nation lies in the hands of its educated young men and women. This applies to Pakistan as well. We are a great country, we are a great people, and we are a great nation. However, it is imperative that we keep up with our traditions to make this nation greater still. In the building of a nation education plays a pivotal role. Education, not for just a degree, nor for a limited purpose, but education for enlightenment of a higher order. In this context, I have not seen a better quotation than a saying of the Holy Prophet “Keep learning from the cradle to the grave”.

Today, it gives me great pleasure to see a spark of joy and optimism in our younger generation. This is a day when the students, parents and members of the faculty, which make a university, come together. It is a day when all of you are looking forward to the future with great expectations. It is day when your merit and potential will be measured by the knowledge that you have acquired.

Convocations are occasions when students and their families, and members of the faculty join together in celebrating this joyous event. Today is a very special day, not only for the students who will be graduating, but for me also. For the graduating students it is their ‘special day’, a time for celebrating!

All of us, who are present here today, anticipate that the professional degree that is being bestowed on you will not be your last one. In the present day scenario, education does not end with acquiring a degree; it is a life long affair exploring new horizons, and broadening your vision, marching on a never-ending journey towards new frontiers of knowledge.

As a country and as a nation, we face daunting challenges. We do our best to find a viable solution to the myriad of problems that we encounter. An educated nation is a nation that solves its problems and moves forward.

The Punjab Group of Colleges, under the dynamic leadership of the Chancellor, Mian Amer Mahmood, has done a commendable job in the field of higher education. There are schools, colleges and universities that proudly fly the Group’s flag. This sense of unity and bondage is a reflection of the commitment the Group has made to the people of Pakistan.

This educational institution has steadily grown over the years. I am happy to know that Mohammad Ali Jinnah University has broadened the range of programs and training. It is indeed praiseworthy that the University is now promoting research in a meaningful and positive way.

Pakistan’s private sector has made significance contribution to the country’s education sector. It has broadened the scope of education and socio-economic development one of the fundamental rights of a citizen is education. The joint efforts of the public and private sector are indeed commendable. 

It is a matter of great pride for all of us, that an increasing number of women are receiving higher education. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said, and I quote, “I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men.”

The influx of young women who want to join the armed forces has grown steadily over the years. It is a testimony to the good credentials of the country in providing equal opportunities to both men and women. The Punjab Group does not lag behind; in fact, it leads by example.  

Let me assure the graduating students that we are proud of you. We place our faith in you for the simple reason that the future of this country is in your hands. In fact, it is YOU who are the future of this country. Therefore, it is never too late to set new goals and add new dimensions to your life.

Let me once again congratulate you all on your achievements. Your excellence is not just measured by a degree awarded to you. It is a compliment to you and your professors who have guided you and helped to polish the innate qualities in you.    

In the end, I would once again like to share a quotation with you. The Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah said, “My message to you all is of hope, courage and confidence. Let us mobilize all our resources in a systematic and organized way and tackle the grave issues that confront us with grim determination and discipline worthy of a great nation.”
May Allah bless you all and may you find peace and prosperity in your future career.

Speech by Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed, Minister of State and Advisor to Prime Minister for Science and Technology

I have the honor and privilege to be here at the Sixth Convocation of M.A.J.U. Islamabad. I am highly grateful to the Board of Governors of M.A.J.U. for inviting me to this precious occasion in which more than 400 graduating students are awarded degrees in different disciplines on the completion of their studies in the University.

I would like extend my heartiest congratulations to the graduating students and their happy parents and wish the new graduates to contribute fruitfully into the prosperity of the country. I would also like to complement the faculty of the University who paid an important role to impart quality education and today they are observing the fruit of their untiring efforts and consistent hard work by the students and all out support and encouragement by their parents blended in a classic synergy of commitment. And today they are witnessing the fruit of their hard work. Now they can bask in the glory of their achievement and take a bold step forward into the future of their dreams.

Graduates, I hope you found  university studies to be a life-forming experience. The faculty did their best to transfer knowledge and wisdom to your receptive minds and inspired you to have an abandoning spirit of enquiry. Now you are equipped to feel and develop the spark of original thinking and a passion for selfless service to the country. I believe the University has also inculcated in you the spirit of nation-building and armed you with the tools to become guiding lights for others. How far the University remained successful in achieving the aim depends on your future achievements.

You are now about to join the class of technocrats and professionals who have done the country proud by their exceptional contributions to socio-economic development. I would advise you to deepen your sense of public responsibility and find solutions to society's problems. To demonstrate one’s worth in today's world, certainly needs competitive talent. More than that, it requires men and women of character who are guided by a high sense of patriotism to create a society of substance for our future generations.

Ladies and Gentlemen! We can look at education as a means of equipping the mind with creative potential. Without it, there could be no creativity and hence no progress of the human conditions. And mankind will remain far from achieving what Aristotle called the “good life”. It is by imparting education to all levels of students that makes a balanced and a well-educated society. The history of mankind tells us that that the rise and fall of nations has essentially been due to the rise and decline of the fountain of knowledge. In the context of education in general, the role of higher education assumes a unique significance. This is especially the case in the contemporary society where nations of the world are constantly striving to gain competitive advantages upon one another in different facets of science, technology and economics.

In this context the role of higher education becomes more prominent and wide ranging. In the present times, we do not only need just the conventional types of education. We are now faced with challenges of different types and it is the higher education which plays a key role in ever-advancing frontiers of research and development. It guarantees sustainable progress and assures a place of respect to both individuals and nations. Simply it means enrichment of the human experience.

I once again congratulate the new graduates and wish them success in their future careers. My heartiest congratulations to the parents whose sacrifices and prayers have borne fruit today.