Ziauddin University awards

Karachi
Around 378 students were awarded degrees at the 12th convocation of Ziauddin University held at the Expo Centre on Wednesday.
The top position holders of seven different faculties were also awarded Sir Ziauddin Ahmed Academic Excellence gold medals. They were: Ali Saleem of Pharm-D, the only male student; Amrah Hasan of MBBS; Aneeka Anwar of BDS; Asifa Naseem from speech, language and hearing sciences; Saniya from bio-medical engineering; Frida Khan of nursing bachelors; and Huma Nadeem from clinical lab sciences.
The vice chancellor of Ziauddin University, Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said the university had been set up to perpetuate the traditions of Dr Ziauddin Ahmed had stood for. Siddiqui said the late Ahmed had been one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
He said the university began its academic journey in January 1996 with the admission of the first batch of only 53 MBBS students out of whom 42 students completed their degrees.
He said, so far, the university had produced 15 batches of 1,005 MBBS students, six batches of 294 Pharm-D students, 12 batches of 381 physiotherapists, 15 batches of 447 medical technologists, three batches of 66 nursing students, four batches of 18 speech language and hearing sciences students, two batches of 57 BDS students and two batches of 42 biomedical engineers.
He said the college of speech, language and hearing sciences with well-equipped laboratories for teaching and training of students, as well as clinics for treatment of patients, offered a four-year BS program not offered by anyone else in Pakistan.
“For an overall population of more than 180 million Pakistanis, over 23 million children and adults have communicative impediments and/or swallowing disorders. Therefore to tend to their needs, the country requires some 45,000 speech and language therapists. At present there are only seven working in the country and all of them have acquired their qualifications from abroad,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ZU Chancellor, Asim Hussain, who is also the chairman of Sindh Higher Education Commission, urged the Sindh chief minister to improve the provincial education system by revising at curriculum at primary level, establishing a postgraduate college for medical subjects and our own regulatory bodies after the 18th Amendment on urgent basis.
According to him, a vibrant civil society could not come into existence without liberal and critical approach. “The fundamentalist forces demand a critical approach,” he said. “I would even say at the risk of being criticised that one should be outspoken and not have an attitude towards status quo.”
He said all great reformers have always subverted the status quo to create a new society.
According to the chancellor, an 18-storey building with a 200-bed hospital will be established in Malir while 46 acres of land had been bought in Sukkur and 115 canal had been bought in Islamabad. In six months, he said, Ziauddin Hospital will also open a branch in UAE. The key-note speaker on the occasion, former Sindh governor Sindh and interior minister, Lt Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider, said graduating students must know about Dr Sir Ziauddin Ahmed, his role as educationist, mathematician and parliamentarian of undivided India.
He said Sir Ziauddin Ahmed was also the longest-serving vice chancellor/rector of Muslim University Aligarh. Also speaking on the occasion, the chief minister informed the audience that because of outstanding faculty, a very effective teaching methodology, good laboratory facilities and above all an excellent opportunity for clinical training for medical, dental and pharmacy, his daughter too had selected this university to complete her BDS degree.
“She is here amongst you today and will receive her degree. As a parent it is a matter of great honour and pride for me that she is a graduate of ZU,” he said. The chief minister used the occasion to ask medical graduates to serve the public sector for at least a couple of years before going abroad for further studies or seeking professional career in the private sector.
He also claimed that recent casualties in Tharparkar district were witnessed mainly because of lack of professional health experts as hardly 20 doctors were doing their duties while almost 80 doctors had come to Karachi and other locations to earn more money. Later he distributed certificates to successful candidates after which all graduates took the Hippocratic Oath.

Breaking traditions
Usually, convocations at both public and private universities kick off with the auspicious recitation of verses from the Holy Quran and the national anthem. However, the Ziauddin University broke this precedent on Wednesday and introduced a new trend by starting the event with a song written by vice chancellor Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui. A group of university’s students sung the song in which they proudly appreciated their attachment with the ZU and the reason for choosing it.