GCU campus academic block, hostel inaugurated

LAHORE : Government College University (GCU) on Saturday opened its new campus at Kala Shah Kaku (KSK) for the academic and co-curricular activities.

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood inaugurated the first academic block and a hostel on the new campus which is spread over more than 370 acres of land.

Speaking on the occasion, the federal minister said that it was not easy to execute such mega projects in Pakistan where there was a need for permissions from multiple departments at each step. He said some systems in the country needed to be revised. However, he said that the government was committed to improving the quality education in the country. He said two-year bachelor’s degree had no value in the new system.

Congratulating the GCU vice-chancellor on completion of his tenure, the minister said that there should be no retirement age for a teacher.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said the land for new campus at KSK was purchased in 2009 with the support from the Punjab government, while PC-I amounting to Rs 998 million was approved in 2014-15 while funding started in 2016 by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the period of completion was four years. He added that PC-1 included one academic block, partial administrative block, hostel, residential apartments for staff and external developments on the campus.

The VC announced that external works, academic block and hostel, inaugurated on Saturday were totally complete while administrative building and residential apartments were near completion. He said that the biggest challenge with this 370 acres land was of a rainwater drain passing through the campus from 10 different directions.

Prof Shah said that the master plan of the campus, which included 22 hostels and other facilities for 25,000 students, 1250 teachers and 650 staff members, would take more than a decade to complete. “However, I’m happy today that this campus has become operational and a couple of academic departments, including Computer Science Department, have been transferred here already,” he said.

The VC said the university would run bus shuttle service between its both campuses for the teachers, students and staff. He appreciated the hard work and dedication of Works Committee, Engineering Cell, Treasurer Office and the registrar for completion of the PC-I.

Later, the VC presented a copy of academic roll of honour to Shafqat Mehmood which he had earned as illustrious student of GC Psychology Department in 1970.