Engaging youth in positive, healthy activities stressed

Islamabad : Academicians and researchers from home and abroad here on Friday called for promoting physical education, as a way forward towards a healthy life.

While addressing the inaugural session of three-day 2nd Euro-Pak International Conference on Sports, Sciences and Physical Education held at AIOU, they underlined the need of engaging the country’s youth in positive and healthy activities. They hoped that educational institutions will play their due role in this connection.

The conference was jointly organized by Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with some other universities of the country.

It was largely attended by students, scholars and scientists. The foreign guests were from Colombia, Germany, French, Iraq, Slovenia, Malaysia and South Korea.

The key-note speakers at the inaugural session were Prof. Dr. Anita Hokelmann from Germany and Dr. Fernandez Ortega Jairo from Colombia. They highlighted the importance of physical activities in educational pursuits.

Speaking on the occasion, Acting Vice Chancellor AIOU Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood hoped that the conference’s recommendations will go a long way in creating awareness about the importance of physical education.

He said sports and physical education could be helpful in character-building of the students, enabling them to play their positive and constructive role in the country's socio-economic development.

Dr. Nasir Mahmood also highlighted the magnificent contribution of the AIOU in meeting educational requirements of millions of people, including the neglected sections of the society, through open distance learning system. He also spoke about the recent initiatives taken by the Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Zia-Ul-Qayyum in promoting quality education through the use of new technology.

Vice Chancellor Sarhad University Prof. Dr. Salimur Rehman in his address on the occasion highlighted their role in promoting sports and physical education. The University, he said had the leading role in engaging the youth in healthy activities. He said it was the second time, the Sarhad University was arranging the prestigious gathering for a better cause.

In this three days activity there will be seven key note speeches and twenty working sessions. The conference is amid at bringing together leading scientists, scholars, researcher, experts and leaders of education from around the world to share and discuss both theoretical and practical knowledge and ideas.

It will be focusing on current sports and health related issues confronting the community for all ages and would propose the viable recommendations and workable strategies.

Vice Chancellor Karakoram International University Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah in his address spoke about the University’s commitment and contribution in promoting physical education.

The conference’s secretary and Dean Social Sciences Sarhad University Dr. Abdul Waheed Mughal thanked the participants, particularly those from abroad for their keen interest in making the event successful.