Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad Campus held it’s fourth convocation on Thursday March 9, 2006, at the Convention Center. This was a majestic event organized by the administration, faculty, staff and students. It was a team effort and was a landmark in the history of the University. Syed Ali Imran E.V.P of M.A.J.U was the chief organizer. The exuberance of the students, faculty and management was commendable. Long before the actual date of the convocation, the campus building 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. The organizing committee worked with dedication and showed a spirit of teamwork and commitment which resulted in the memorable hosting of a dignified and outstanding ceremony. The event was equally praised by the students, their families and other respected guests. It was given wide coverage by the print and electronic media.

Proceedings of the Convocation:

The E.V.P. led the impressive procession followed by the Chief Guest the honorable Governor Punjab, Lieutenant General (R) Khalid Maqbool Siddique, and the Guest of Honor, Dr. Samar Mubarik Mand - Chairman NESCOM and Chancellor Mian Amer Mahmood, the Administration, the Board of Governors- Faculty and the graduating students of M.A.J.U. entered the Convention Hall in a dignified manner befitting the occasion.
The ceremony began with the playing of the National Anthem.

The graduating students and their proud parents congratulated each other, and the faculty and administration of the university for their wonderful achievements.
The strenuous rehearsals, plus the hours spent on the arrangements, and the attention paid to a million functional details, were all handsomely rewarded by the comments of the guests 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.

SPEECH BY THE CHANCELLOR

The Honorable Chief Guest, Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool, Governor of Punjab, Guest of Honour, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman NESCOM, Members Board of Governors, President and Executive Vice President, Faculty members, Distinguished Guests, Graduating Students, Parents, Ladies and Gentlemen. Alhumdulillah. It is an occasion of great personal pleasure for me to participate in the fourth convocation ceremony of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad Campus.

Starting with just one program and only 47 students in 1998, the University has almost miraculously attained the status of pioneers and leaders among the private sector universities, for its high-quality research-oriented programs.

Today, it offers a wide range of programs at undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. A lot of hard work by a large number of persons has made this transition from a fledgling university to an accepted standard of excellence in academic endeavors possible.

It is a matter of great personal pride and satisfaction that I find Mohammad Ali Jinnah University being frequently cited as an example worth emulation. I thank all those selfless men and women whose efforts, dedication and sincerity have given Mohammad Ali Jinnah University its enviable stature.

On behalf of the Board of Governors, the administration, the faculty and the students of the University, I welcome our Chief Guest, Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool, Governor of Punjab, Sir, it is indeed a great honor that you accepted our request to grace the Fourth Convocation Ceremony.

Your efforts towards promotion of quality education in Pakistan in general and Punjab in particular are a source of great inspiration to all patriots. I am thankful to you for all the support and cooperation you have extended to us and for sparing your precious time to be with us today.

We are also fortunate to have among us the venerable chairman of NESCOM, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand. Dr Mubarakmand’s services in the cause of scientific development and making Pakistan invincible are gratefully acknowledged by the whole nation.

Under his patriotic and able guidance, NESCOM is scaling new heights of excellence in securing the future of our great nation. Thank you, Sir, for being with us today.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, 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. We fully appreciate that this excellence comes about only through investment in faculty, facilities, technology, and curriculum.

We are making these investments because we realize that, as responsible citizens, we must fulfill the expectations of our society that looks upon us to provide it with professionals in Management, Finance, Bio-Sciences, Engineering, Information Technology and a number of other fields. We are working hard towards this objective and using all our resources to accelerate the pace of national development.

Another area whose importance is fully appreciated by Mohammad Ali Jinnah University is the realm of research. We are diligently improving research facilities and capability to ensure that meaningful and purposeful research oriented programs are mounted that in turn lead to solving the nagging economic, social, technical and financial problems besetting our nation.

Award of three doctoral degrees in this convocation is a testimony of the success of our efforts in this direction. I thank and felicitate the faculty members who have supervised these Ph D candidates and others who are guiding the current Ph D students.

I exhort them to maintain the quality of our programs and prepare graduates who can contribute effectively to our country’s ascent to the status a developed nation.

Dear students.

Those of you who have earned a degree must remember that this is just the beginning of a new era in your life. A degree, be it a bachelors, a masters or a doctorate, is only the start of a world of wisdom and knowledge.

You have undoubtedly been prepared and equipped well for your future, not only in your chosen careers but also in many other aspects of your life. However, you must appreciate that the need to develop your personal skills and expertise will always remain present.

I hope that Jinnah has given you a zest to continue ‘learning for life’ so that you can realize your full potential and become of the greatest value to our beloved country while at the same time gaining the sense of maximum personal achievement.

This country and indeed the entire Ummah looks upto you. You hold the key to solving our problems. Education is a very important instrument and while it offers no instant remedies, it works slowly and diligently towards awakening a 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.

I wish you all the success in your careers and personal lives. May the blessings of Almighty Allah always be with you. Amen.

I would now wish to record my appreciation of the people who made possible the success of our students, and indeed the university. I mean the hard working, dedicated and selfless faculty and administration of Mohammad Ali Jinnah University.

We are proud to have such remarkable professional and zealous persons with us who are both capable and desirous of adding glow to the future of this great nation.

I wish to offer my congratulations to the parents and families of graduating students. Your prayers have been answered today; your dreams have materialized today. Your hard works towards sustaining the academic endeavors of your off-springs has finally paid off. Your vision and foresight have borne fruit. You deserve our most sincere felicitations.

I am very grateful to all the guests who have joined us on this memorable day.

And finally, I once again offer my sincere thanks to Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool and Dr Samar Mubarakmand for being with us today.

SPEECH BY CHIEF GUEST (LT GEN (R) KHALID MAQBOOL)

Ladies and gentlemen only those nations have progressed today in the world who have excelled in higher education. To quote the example of countries; small countries like Singapore and South Korea who have taken a lead in the higher education and have used IT (Information Technology), have created a great effect on the world economy and the reason is very simple If someone will come op with a pomp to make a heart operation irrelevant, or someone who will come op with a new scheme to fight poverty, those are the people whose ideas will be followed. Where are these ideas produced and generated? In the universities where the teachers and researchers sit down in collaboration with their PhD students and come op with new ideas.

Somehow, unfortunately for almost two decades we worked only on elementary education and let the university education take care of itself. As a result our universities almost crumbled. The credit goes to the government that over the last six years the government has invested heavily in the op gradation of the public sector universities, and whether it is the faculty development program or hiring the faculty from abroad or giving appreciable scholarships to students, just like two of your students got today, or a massive development program in the university, I would say public sector higher education is on its way forward today. Our student enrollment has increased many folds today and the number of universities has almost tripled. The result is that whether it is a job of an engineer, a doctor, or a civil, servant these are being staffed by the graduates of the public sector universities I believe we can sustain this effort and I see a great future for the public sector universities. Now for the first time in the history of Pakistan people are coming-to do their post doctorate from Pakistan. For the first time the students of this University have competed in the mathematical Olympia and have brought honor to the nation. The public sector universities which have a primary responsibility to provide quality but affordable education to the mainstream population, that is the role they should take. They alone cannot fulfill this responsibility. Fifteen Private sector universities have also been recognized by the HEC. Traditionally our private sector was involved in primary education and I think this is a sign of confidence from the society in Pakistan that private sector has joined in higher education. The government has been very supportive and wants them to share their PhD and research program with them.. These two sectors neither compete with each other nor replicate with each other. Both have certain advantages in their own niche. Private sector is well aware of the demands of the market and has much more facilities available and has a very flexible administrative structure. We see an IT sector which is doing very well, we see the telecom industry, we see the textile sector doing-Very well which is looking for new fashion designers etc. Islamabad is the hub of NGOs who are looking for dedicated people with new ideas for poverty eradication. Instead of replicating private sector universities, the public sector universities should find their own niche in the market.

The biggest challenge for the education sector is to find a faculty who is trained for the respective fields. The public sector needs to consistently work for the grooming their faculty and have to be conscious of the quality of education they provide. I would like to compliment your university which is a very good example of a successful higher education private sector institution.

Ladies and gentlemen we are passing through a transition; we were traditional, agricultural and very much a feudal society, we hope that this society will become a post
industrial society. At this moment we     e very stark choices to make. There is this small
minority in Pakistan which is holding us and want           to look backward, wants us to be stuck in the past, wants us emotionally attached to traditions. It wants us to resist change. We have to become a society of enlightenment, that can compete with the world
and truly believes in the moderate, passionate and the human face of Islam.

You as graduates are very lucky that you are entering the job market when Pakistan's economy has been connected to world economy and there are better opportunities for you to do well in life. I wish you a great professional career, I wish you a great educational career. I wish you a lot of success. I am very honored to be amongst you in the moment of your joy, joy to your family! Pakistan Paindabad!

Excerpts from the Speech of Dr. Samar Mubarik Mand

The honorable Governer General (R) Khalid Maqbool, Chancellor, Present MAJU, members of faculty, students, parents, ladies and gentlemen. It is my proud privilege to be here today amongst this very learned and elite audience and I have been coming here with considerable regulatory because this university is very dear to me. I first congratulate the students who have worked so hard to earn such high education in Pakistan as well as other universities abroad. I also congratulate their parents and the members of the faculty who gave them such good education. This university has finally hit the apex of academics by producing PhD students for the first time.
 
There are very few good universities in Pakistan and the top 10% of the students in these universities are the cream of the nation. Wherever they go, they make a name for themselves and for Pakistan, and I am saying this from experience because we use this manpower. It is a matter of great pride for us at NASCOM that the centers of excellence we have created for the academic pursuits of our scientists have today provided opportunities for millions of students in Pakistan. The function of these centers is to provide for our PhDs who qualify from here as well as abroad, a platform right at the campus where they can come and pursue postdoctoral research. You must realize that although PhD is the highest degree in academics and research. It could take one to three years of post doctorate research under the tutorage of very senior scientists before that PhD can become an expert who can deliver in his own field. Once your students complete the PhD, they are most welcome to pursue postdoctoral research at our campus. We are fortunate to have inherited an intelligent and genetically superior race. Here in this continent, there was a crossing of genes from Central Asia and Arabia, even the Greeks were here. As a result of this, a very superior gene has come to existence, and we are the inheritors of that gene. You are the people who have inherited a very high intellect. When this quality in you has developed through education and hard work, through discipline and grooming, then you are able to control your own destiny and the destiny of the nation. Allama Igbal has defined this a long time ago in a couplet, " Khudi ". Mohammad Ali Jinnah University is doing just that. It identifies in you your inner qualities by giving you a high quality education. It is making you quite capable of shaping your own destiny and commanding the destiny of Pakistan and we have to pray that one day you will serve the nation just as well.

In NESCOM, we have a motto that working for Pakistan is "Ibaadat". Seventeen thousand scientists in the organization worked day and night, selflessly for the defense of Pakistan. Serving Pakistan is an ideology. It's a way of life. It's a pursuit of eternal happiness, and a very noble profession. We have been working on the technology of the
Cruise Missile for the last 10 to 12 years. When we       tested the `Babar' Cruise Missile for
the first time in Pakistan, the  scientists of the 80s and 90s demonstrated to the world that
Pakistan is the fourth     country in the world to have achieved the technology of a Cruise
Missile System. The intellect is there. You just have to motivate it. You have to set very
high objective and you have to work hard and you have fine academic institutions to make you capable of achieving these goals. Then the sky will be the limit! Thank you very much!

SPEECH BY EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

The Honorable Chief Guest,

Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool

Governor of Punjab

Guest of Honour,

Dr. Samar Mubarakmand,

Chairman NESCOM,

Respected Chancellor, Mian Amer Mahmood,

Members Board of Governors,

President and Faculty members,

Distinguished Guests,

Graduating Students,

Parents,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Assalam-u-Laikum

It is my profound pleasure to welcome all of you to this historical event of our Fourth Convocation.
A convocation is not simply an occasion to confer degrees on graduating students.

It is a moment in history.
It is a time to rejoice and re-dedicate ourselves to our cause.
It is a time when we take stock of what has transpired since the previous assembly.
It is a time when we evaluate our progress and re-assess our priorities.

The year leading up to this convocation was unlike any other year. While we made some significant advances in our academic pursuits, we also suffered some grave and irreplaceable losses.

We are all aware of the most tragic earthquake that shattered the lives of a great number of our countrymen. The damage, pain and agony caused by this disaster were felt by all Pakistanis.

Over a hundred thousand lives were lost; property worth billions of rupees was destroyed. But the biggest damage was the loss of intellect.

And this was particularly devastating for our University, as it took away our beloved colleague and Dean Faculty of Engineering & Sciences, Dr Mohammad Jaffer-ur-Rahman.

Dr Jaffer was undoubtedly a great asset for Pakistan, a brilliant computer scientist of international repute, a wonderful human being, a magnificent scholar, an outstanding teacher, and a very proud Pakistani.

His biggest contribution at MAJU was promotion of research culture here. He was the architect of our BS, MS and doctoral programs in Computer Sciences.
He established the Center for Software Dependability at MAJU. This area is currently the focus of research all over the world as all the perceived advantages of software rely entirely on its dependability. His sad demise, along with his entire family, was a tragedy that all of us at Jinnah will never be able to reconcile with.

I understand that an IEEE/ACM sponsored “Satellite Events at MoDELS 2005 Conference”, which is undoubtedly the most prestigious event of its kind and was held in Jamaica in October 2005, has dedicated the entire proceedings of the conference to the memory of Dr Jaffer.

This recognition of his tremendous contribution to his profession is also an honor for Pakistan.

Tragic, devastating, destructive and shocking as the earthquake was, it also served to unite the nation for the singular cause of helping all those who had suffered at the hands of this cruel occurrence.

The selflessness, care and concern shown by Pakistanis in general and our young generation in particular was simply heartwarming. The faculty and students of MAJU also rose up admirably to the occasion.

Zara Num Ho To Ye Mitti
Badi Zarkhez hai Saqi

The past year was also remarkable for a number of achievements. For the first time in our history, three students qualified for doctoral degrees. Award of its first Ph D degrees is always a significant event in the history of a university. Alhamdo-lillah, MAJU has reached this milestone in only its fourth convocation.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

We are rising to the challenges of higher education in the twenty-first century. We have three strategic considerations in all our endeavors.

The first is of course the range of programs. We are constantly updating our curriculum to ensure that it is always in line with the demands of the time. Our programs are tailored not for the popular market but for the real needs of our country’s economy and manpower development. We zealously guard the quality of our programs.

One of the most effective tools for this purpose is the meticulous care in selection of faculty and constant attention to their development. Currently, almost half of our full time faculty holds doctoral degrees from renowned foreign universities.

Two of our faculty members will receive their Ph D degrees today. Four more faculty members are currently enrolled in-house for Ph D programs while another four have gone abroad for similar programs. 
Our second focal point is training and consultative services. In addition to pure academic programs, we run training programs, seminars and workshops for the benefit of industry, public sector and community at large. We believe this is our contribution to the development of professional manpower, which is enriching the society as a whole.

We have also set up a consultancy services wings that provides professional services to public and private sector organizations.

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 used to transform developing economies into developed nations.

Our recent history tells us that the prime source of our national pride, our nuclear capability, is a direct result of our research efforts. Pakistan desperately needs to continue research for attaining economic sustainability, achieving self-sufficiency in all walks of life, guarding her dignity, and playing her due role as the leader of the Islamic Ummah.

In the developed world, universities play a pivotal role in the research arena. At MAJU, we are deeply conscious of our responsibility in this regard. We are therefore investing heavily in facilities, technology and faculty development to promote research in meaningful and purposeful areas. Jinnah is a leader among the private sector universities in the field of research.

We have inculcated a research culture among our scholars. A number of research groups are seriously working in their specialized areas. Over the last year alone, more than a hundred research papers have been published in international referred journals and accepted at international conferences.

Inshallah, very soon our research programs will start bearing fruit, leading to acceleration in the pace of our national development in these vital areas.

It may be pertinent to inform this august gathering here that our Faculty of Engineering & Sciences is going to host an IEEE international scientific conference on Intelligent Systems in the month of April. Papers read at this conference will be published as IEEE proceedings. This will be a milestone event for Pakistan.

Ladies and Gentlemen.
Jinnah provides opportunities to the students to realize their full potential by honing their basic skills, equipping them with relevant knowledge and instilling in them a firm sense of social justice, responsible leadership and commitment to the country.

Our graduates have already carved a niche for themselves in the market. They have proved that they have the ability, control, dignity and determination. Through commitment, hard work and dedication, they have succeeded in fulfilling all expectations associated with them.

Almost 100% of our graduates, including those receiving their degrees today, have succeeded in securing positions appropriate to their status.

I would now like to offer a special word of praise for our truly dedicated and admirable faculty that has worked selflessly to achieve the standards of excellence for which the University is acknowledged today.

I would also like to place on record my gratitude to, and appreciation of, the encouragement that we have received from the parents of our students. We share their happiness today and offer them our heartiest congratulations.

I thank all my worthy guests for joining us today and making this event an occasion of joy and pride for us.

My sincere thanks are due to the NESCOM, AEC, HEC, P.A.R.C. and WWF for extending their full cooperation to us by allowing us to use their research and other facilities, sponsoring our graduate programs, and providing us their wise counsel.

I also thank President and members of our Board of Governors for their continuous support and guidance.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I wish to express my profound gratitude to our worthy Chancellor. It was his personal interest and financial support that made it possible for MAJU to acquire a 10 acre plot in Islamabad for building our custom designed campus.

His vision, wisdom and leadership continue to provide all of us with a motivation to achieve even greater heights.

Thank you, Sir.

It is with profound pleasure that I offer my sincere thanks to our Guest of Honor, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, Chairman of NESCOM, for joining us today. His contribution to our national security and defense is legendary. We are grateful to you and NESCOM for your continued support and cooperation.

I am indebted to Honorable Chief Guest for sparing his valuable time and gracing this memorable event in the history of the University. His contribution to the cause of education in the country is legendary.

His personal interest and devotion is helping Punjab scale new heights in this important facet of national development. His presence here today is a matter of honor and pride for all of us. 

Thank you

Degrees awarded in the Fourth Convocation
Muhammad Ali Jinnah University awarded 236 degrees to its students from various disciplines this year. Eleven students were awarded MS degrees, 19 students were awarded MSC degrees, 129 students were awarded MBA degrees after 14 years of education, 12 students were awarded MBA degrees after 15 years of education, 47 students were awarded BS degrees and 14 students were awarded BBA degrees.

Three doctorate degrees awarded
At the convocation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad Campus had the honor of awarding three doctorate degrees in the field of Science. Dr. Tanveer Ahmed Cheema, Dr.Yousif Zafar and Dr.Aqdas Naveed received PhD degrees. It was the first time that PhD degrees were awarded by M.A.J.U. A brief introduction of the PhD scholars is as follows: