Turkish envoy, GCU VC discuss academic collaboration

LAHORE:Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Irfan Neziroglu visited the Government College University (GCU) Lahore and met with the Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Omer Chaudhry to discuss expanding academic and cultural collaboration between Türkiye and Pakistan.

The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in higher education, including joint research projects, faculty exchange, and cultural programmes. The vice chancellor highlighted the potential for collaborative initiatives, pointing to the functioning Urdu Chair in Türkiye and proposing the establishment of a Turkish Chair in Pakistan to facilitate deeper academic engagement.

Ambassador Dr Neziroglu reaffirmed the strong fraternal ties between the two nations, calling Pakistan a brother country and expressing Türkiye’s commitment to building long-term educational partnerships.

GCU Adviser Students’ Affairs Siddique Awan suggested that translating academic material—Turkish research into Urdu and Urdu literature into Turkish—would strengthen scholarly exchange and mutual understanding.

During the visit, the Ambassador toured the Department of Turkish Language and Literature and the room of national poet-philosopher Dr Allama Iqbal at the historic Iqbal Hostel. He praised Iqbal’s intellectual contributions, recognising the poet’s role in shaping thought across the Muslim world.

PU organises ‘Meet the Authors’ session

Punjab University Library’s Book Club held a special 'Meet the Authors' session this month, bringing together literary enthusiasts, students, and faculty for an engaging and intellectually stimulating event.

The session featured authors Dr Osama Siddique and Mushtaq Soofi, who discussed their works and shared insights on literature’s role in shaping society. The English book, Snuffing Out the Moon, was presented by its author Dr Osama Siddique. He is a novelist, legal scholar, teacher and policy reform consultant. The novel, his debut fiction, is set across six distinct historical eras in South Asia, exploring themes of justice, inequality, and resistance.

The second featured work was the Punjabi poetry collection Oorak, by poet Mushtaq Soofi. Celebrating the depth, beauty, and richness of the Punjabi language, the author passionately advocated for the inclusion of Punjabi as a compulsory medium of expression at the primary education level. The event was attended by Chief Librarian Dr M Haroon Usmani, faculty members and students.