GCU Debating Society wins 315 trophies in 2017-18

LAHORE: The Debating Society of Government College University (GCUDS) has set an unprecedented national record by clinching a total of 315 trophies in various national and international competitions during the academic session 2017-18.

According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, the record includes 33 team trophies, 16 runners-up trophies, 133 best speaker awards, 79 second positions, 49 third positions and five consolation prizes in the various declamation, parliamentary style debates, model united nations style, recitation and poetry competitions in English, Urdu, Pashto and Punjabi languages.

According to the annual report presented to Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah, Chairman Societies Board Prof Mirza Ather Baig and Registrar Mr Saboor Ahmad Khan on Tuesday by GCUDS, the Society last academic year stood victorious at almost all the major parliamentary tournaments, including LUMS, GIKI, Punjab University, Shahjiwana, Forman Christian College and King Edward Medical University. The high achievers in parliamentary style of debates included Mohiba Ahmed, Raza Aftab Gillani, Abdullah Cheema, Hamza Abbas, Haris Ali Virk, Sarmad Wali Khan, Fahad Sokhta, Gohar Shaukat and Moavviz Siddiq Nizami. In the under 19 category, GCU young orators, Talha Seemab, Muneeb Ur Rehman, Shah Jahan Tahir, Baryab Raja, Abdullah Hamid and Bahawal Baig lifted the trophies at KEMU, FAST and AMC.

In declamations, GCU orators won the team trophies at Chenab College, Jhang, University College Lahore, University of Azad and Jammu Kashmir, FMH Medical College, and many others. The speakers who excelled in declamation included Mohiba Ahmed, Saad Khan, Ali Nawaz, Shahrukh Baig, Syed Irfan Mehdi, Kafeel Rana, Zain Ul Hassan, Haris Ali Virk, Romaisha Tauseef, Hanan Mir, Harram Malik, Abdullah Mohsin, Zohaib Alam, Kinza Tariq, Umer Duabia, Muhammad Shahbaz, Sheherbano, Abrar Ali, Ghulam Mustafa, Amna Ghafoor, Umair Ali, Ahmad Sultan and Ali Sherdil. GCUDS President Mohiba Ahmed won the British High Commission’s Great Debate Competition and was awarded British scholarship of 2,000 pound.

GCU intermediate student Abdullah Hamid represented Pakistan at the second session of World International University Tashkent Model United Nations and brought home an international MUN debating award. Ravian poets Kafeel Rana, Zohaib Alam, Tauseef Mehmood, Ibtihaj Ahmed and Muhammad Hasnain won various poetry contests. Hafiz Amir and Zahid Hussain stood victorious in Qiraat and Naat contests across the country. In Model United Nations, Mukarram Ghafoor, Rabia Javed, Nashmia Ibrahim and Huzaifa Ali stood victorious.

The GCU VC congratulated the Ravian orators on their excellent performance in the national debating competitions.

Appointed: Punjab University Department of Information Management’s Professor Dr Kanwal Amin has been appointed Director External Linkages to promote relations with other academic, research organisations and industry. According to a press release issued here on Wednesday, Prof Kanwal Ameen has served as chairperson from May 2009 to May 2018 of Department of Information Management and Chair of Doctoral Programme Coordination Committee of Punjab University for four years.

She has served on prestigious international conferences’ organising committees, has chaired their sessions, and has presented papers.

Prof Kanwal has got a number of international and national awards/scholarships such as Research Fellowship as Professor, University of Tsukuba, Japan (2013), Fulbright Post-Doc, University of Missouri, Columbia (2009-2010) Fulbright Pre-Doc, University of Texas, Austin, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s Best Teacher Award and Best Paper Award in Social Sciences, Pakistan Library Association’s Life Time Achievements Award and Asian Library Leaders “Award for Professional Excellence – 2013”, India. She has authored more than 140 publications which include scholarly journal articles, conference proceedings, books and book chapters.