Present era requires problem solving approach: President

Islamabad

Degrees, gold medals and awards were conferred upon as many as 1,055 graduates of Riphah International University in the 11th Convocation held here on Saturday at the Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad.

These graduates belonged to various faculties including Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Management Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Computing, Social Sciences and Humanities, Basic Sciences and Media Sciences.  As many as 10,198 students are now alumni members of the university.

Seventeen Zulfiqar Gold Medals and 50 Chancellor Gold Medals were awarded to the graduates and postgraduates for obtaining top positions in the examinations and securing distinction for their best performance in the academic field in various disciplines.

President Mamnoon Hussain, was the chief guest of the occasion while Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong was the guest of honour. Other than that ambassadors of Mauritius and Oman were also present at the occasion.

Addressing the convocation, President Mamnoon Hussain, congratulated the students and their parents and teachers for stepping into practical life after a successful academic career. He said it was heartening for him to note that Higher Education Commission has placed Riphah International University at 2nd Position in its ranking of general category private sector universities. The president paid rich tributes to Founder Chancellor (Late) Major General (r) Muhammad Zulfiqar Ali Khan for his vision and services to the nation establishing a medical college in 1996 which has now attained the status of a full-fledged university.

The president said that this was an era of knowledge and scientific development and it requires creative problem solving approach. “Universities and institutes of higher learning therefore need to become hub of generating innovative ideas and inventions as they play pivotal role in the socio-economic development of any society. He said that as a nation we are facing multi-facet challenges, among which few are the most complex ones such as terrorism, extremism, societal discrimination, social prejudice and corruption. Although government is trying to overcome these issues but in my personal opinion it’s the education which can resolve these issues,” he added. He emphasised that its only value based quality education which can help us to improve our future.

Speaking on the occasion, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that he was pleased to learn about the holding of 11th Convocation of Riphah International University. He said it’s been more than a decade now, and Riphah has progressively come forward in terms of achieving distinction in education and research with 12th place in public and private sector universities in general category as per Pakistan Rankings of Higher Education Institutions 2015.

Addressing to the convocation Pro-Chancellor Mr. Hassan Muhammad Khan, congratulated graduating students and prayed to Allah S.W.T. for a bright and successful career for them. He said, this was first convocation without presence of our Founding Chancellor, late Maj. Gen. Muhammad Zulfiqar Ali Khan, who was the moving spirit behind the realization of his dream in the form of Riphah International University. He prayed that may Allah S.W.T. reward him best for his sincere services to the Muslim Ummah.

The Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmed, in his report, highlighted the achievements and future plans of the university.