Islamabad
Hamdard University conferred degrees on 271 pharmaceutical sciences, engineering and business administration graduates at the 12th convocation ceremony of its Islamabad Campus here on Thursday.
Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Tarar, who was the chief guest on the occasion, recalled the contributions of the founder of the university Shaheed Hakim Muhammad Said, saying he “devoted his life to serve humanity without any prejudices.” The ceremony was attended by students, graduates, faculty members, and representatives of the academia and industry.
Saira said, the government is focusing on promoting higher education in the country and has undertaken several development initiatives ever since coming into power. “The federal government has undertaken higher education projects worth Rs75 billion in the previous years, where during the current fiscal year, Rs20 billion had been allocated for this purpose,” she shared.
The role of the private sector in higher education, Saira said, is acknowledged by the government, which expects the private sector) to continue to contribute for its responsible growth to meet the development needs of the country. “At the same time, the government is committed to ensuring that everyone desirous of getting higher education and having the required capability gets the opportunity to access and complete it,” she added.
Chancellor Sadia Rashid urged graduates to recognize the contribution of others in their educational achievements and play their role for the betterment of the country and society. She underscored that no one – students, parents, and education institutions – could alone attain their goals.
“Education is a complex process, and the success of any one is dependent on, and interwoven with, the success of many others. So each of us must remember to acknowledge the debt we owe to others – not only realize it, but voice it. Occasions like today – milestone moments – are times we must pause and take stock of the past we have lived through, and the future for which we are hoping,” Sadia maintained.
The Chancellor remembered the humble beginning of Hamdard Foundation from a modestly furnished rented two-room office and said that progress achieved over decades has a lesson for the graduates, who too can through devotion and adherence to work ethics achieve their life ambitions.
Vice Chancellor Hakim Prof. Dr Hakim Abdul Hannan, speaking on the occasion, said that Hakim Said, while establishing the university, envisioned provision of quality education to the younger generation, particularly students hailing from regions that are yet to economically and socially develop.
The university, Dr. Hannan said, annually spends Rs45 million for financially supporting the education of deserving students. Moreover, he said, the consideration before the university’s founders while establishing the various faculties and departments was national requirement and not the commercial factor.
Director General Hamdard University Islamabad Campus Dr. Azhar Hussain presented an overview of the three faculties at the campus – Hamdard Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences.
“In light of the philosophy of Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, we aim to reinforce our education programmes and make them more dynamic, practical and altruist and ones that are in accordance with contemporary international standards,” Dr. Azhar said.