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Quaid-i-Azam University's 4th Convocation Ceremony
ISLAMABAD, March 14(Daily Times): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday said the government was
determined to increase the education budget soon from the current level of 2.7
percent to 4 percent of the GDP.
The prime minister was addressing the
4th convocation of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) held here at the Convention
Centre. He said the government would not shy to take loans for this purpose as
investing in education was investing in the country's future. He said investing
in education was crucial to achieve a knowledge-based economy.
Aziz said
the government was focusing on higher education and funds for the Higher
Education Commission (HEC) had been increased from Rs 7 billion to Rs 28
billion. He said a total of Rs 15 billion had been allocated to send excellent
students to foreign schools for PhD studies, adding that under this programme
2,000 students would go abroad.
He said there was a need to focus on
education, particularly on higher education, as "illiterate nations cannot
progress." He said the Holy Prophet (PUBH) had urged people to seek education,
even if they had to travel for it to China. The prime minister said the
government had provided a grant of Rs 6 billion to the QAU for expanding and
improving its academic facilities. He said the HEC had ranked the QAU number one
in Pakistan and that it should be ranked among top 100 universities in the world
in ten years. He said the government was determined to help QAU in achieving the
goal. Aziz praised QAU students, particularly those who excelled in their
disciplines, and said that they were Pakistan's future and tomorrow's leaders.
He said Pakistan came into being because of the Quaid's untiring
dedication and the sacrifices of thousands of founding fathers. "Now it is you,
the younger generation, who has to translate Quaid's vision into reality," he
said. He said the university was named after Jinnah who hailed from a middle
class family. The very fact testifies that anyone who struggles hard can achieve
the set goals, he added.
He said the country's economy had been turned
around during the last seven years because of President General Pervez
Musharraf's economic policies. He said the country had been set on the path of
sustained economic growth. He said that it had been due to these economic
reforms that the country was able to withstand the shock of the October 2005
earthquake and the rise in oil prices. The government is taking all decisions in
national interests and no personal interests are being followed, he added. The
prime minister said the government had begun a 3 to 6 month crash course to
bridge the skills gap found in various industries, adding that so far 1,000
youths had benefited from the programme.
He appreciated students who had
achieved distinctions in various disciplines during the academic sessions from
2004 to 2006 and said, "We are proud of you." The prime minister also awarded
the Presidential Gold Medal to nine graduates and the Chancellor Award to 19
graduates who had excelled out of 700 graduating students in MPhil, MSc and MBA
programmes.
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| Education News | | Updated: 25 May, 2012 |
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