After meeting with Imran, GCU VC names journalism dept after Arshad Sharif

LAHORE : Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi has announced elevating the newly introduced Department of Journalism at the university to an institute and name it after slain journalist Arshad Sharif.

Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi who also holds the additional charge of the VC of Punjab University (PU) had met former premier and PTI chief Imran Khan on Friday. In his video message after the meeting, shared on YouTube by the channel named as PTI Central Media Department, the VC said an endowment fund would also be established at the journalism institute where courses in investigative journalism would be offered.

Meanwhile, a meeting of organisational committee of the GCU’s Second All Pakistan Summit for Students’ Societies was held on Saturday according to which the summit, a conglomeration of youth enrolled in the public and private sector universities, is going to commence on Sunday (today) with a 5-km marathon on The Mall from Governor House to GCU Lahore.

For the first time, girls are also participating in the Marathon for the 3-km run from GPO Chowk to the University’s Clock Tower.

“During the six-day summit, the well-endowed students will demonstrate a variety of skills in exhibiting the concepts promoting compassion, spiritual elation, tolerance, empathy, civic responsibility, social parity, inclusive growth and national cohesion,” said Prof Asghar Zaidi.

The summit is being hosted by GCU Lahore in collaboration with the Punjab Youth Affairs and Sports Department, non-government organization Shaoor Foundation, Superior University, British Council Pakistan and the University of Punjab. Prof Zaidi believed that the week-long summit will also serve as a forum to showcase the functioning of numerous societies and clubs of GCU Lahore to the rest of the world. “It will also provide an opportunity to the students to develop leadership qualities and become harbingers of change at the national and international level,” he said.

Besides debate contests, essay and poetry writing competitions, students mushaira and music concert, the week-long events include discussions among leading experts, scholars and students on wide-ranging topics of contemporary relevance to higher educational institutions. The sports activities at the summit included grand march past, cricket, hockey squash, tennis and basketball matches.

Prof Zaidi said the purpose of the summit is to showcase, inspire, and further promote our glorious tradition of creative and exploratory excellence. Governor Chaudhry Baligh-ur-Rehman will chair a session of summit on December 6, while Punjab Minister Higher Education Raja Yassir Hamayun will address the inaugural session on Monday.