Governor, CM ask graduating NED students to work for country’s progress

The future development of Pakistan lies in the hands of graduating youths who can steer the country out of crisis through hard work and talent.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said this on Saturday as he addressed the 30th convocation of the NED University of Engineering and Technology.

“We have talented students while universities are the centres of higher education and research which are directly linked with the national economy,” he remarked in his address to the graduating batch.

Ismail said graduates of the NED University were serving on important positions not only in Pakistan but also in North America, Europe, and Australia. He added that such graduates were proudly representing Pakistan in those countries.

He remarked that it was a matter of pride for every Pakistani that the number of PhD faculty members at the NED University had increased and a majority of the teachers had also served in reputed international universities.

The governor said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was committed to providing loans up to Rs2.5 million under its Successful Youth Program. In the coming days, he added, a help desk would be set up at the NED University for students.

“The country has high expectations from you and I want you to use your talents and contribute to the development of the country,” Ismail remarked.

Addressing the event, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that as many as 25 public universities had been established in Sindh after the passage of the Universities Act from the provincial assembly. This was one of the best steps taken by the Sindh government to improve the quality of education, he added.

The CM, who is an alumnus of the NED University, said the varsity had been imparting professional education for the last 100 years. Recalling his student life, the CM said that after studying at the NED University, he went abroad to study in the world’s best institute.

He added that later, he opted for politics and succeeded in acquiring high positions. “In 2002, I was elected as an MPA, and today I am the chief minister of Sindh”.

Encouraging the passing out students, the CM said it was now the responsibility of the graduates to play a positive role to earn a good name for their alma mater. In the US, the degree awarding ceremony is called commencement because the graduates enter into a new phase, he stated.

He advised the graduating students to use knowledge and wisdom for the country’s development and told them that honesty and hard work would make them successful in their professional field.

NED University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodi said the varsity was the first engineering institute that had been producing talented engineers for the past one hundred years. Later on, the VC conferred doctorate degrees on 100 students. Around 1,500 students received degrees in the convocation.