860 students get degrees at LUMS convocation
Lahore, June 28: The 26th convocation ceremony of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) was held on Saturday in which 860 students were awarded degrees.

Salman Amin, COO North America Markets at S. C. Johnson & Son Inc was the keynote speaker at the ceremony which was the largest convocation ceremony in the university's history, with as many as 860 students in the graduating Class of 2014 from its all four schools; Suleman Dawood, School of Business (SDSB), Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS), Syed Babar Ali, School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) and Shaikh Ahmad Hassan, School of Law (SAHSOL).

Speaking on the occasion, Salman Amin congratulated the Class of 2014 and said "Today is your convocation-a day that marks not just the acknowledgement that you have completed your formal studies, but a day that marks the beginning of a new chapter, dare I say, a new book that each of you is about to write."

LUMS Vice Chancellor Dr Syed Sohail Naqvi congratulated the graduating class saying "As you get ready to commence your life as a graduate, let us pause to pay homage and tribute to those who have been there from the start. Those who helped you with your first steps and were the first shoulder you leaned on when times were not so kind." Earlier, LUMS graduate night dinner was held on Friday.

Pak students advised to watch UKVI website
Lahore: Renowned Educationist and Career-Advisor Syed Abidi has advised Pakistani students, aspiring to go to the United Kingdom, to keep a regular watch on the announcement at the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.

Syed Abidi was talking to The News with reference to the latest developments taking place following suspension of licences of 57 private colleges and suspension of international recruitment at three universities in the United Kingdom.

"It was unfortunate for many Pakistani students as at least one of these institutions (University of Bedfordshire) is quite reputable and favourite for Pakistani students", he added. Replying to a question on the fate of Pakistani students aspiring to go to the UK, Syed Abidi said it is yet unclear how things will develop.

"But as for now, all the students, applying to these very institutions, should keep a regular watch on the announcement at the UKVI website", he added. It is pertinent to mention here that the UK Home Office had told three universities and 57 private colleges that they cannot sponsor any new international students in a major crackdown over suspect English language qualifications.

MA Education exams from July 2
Lahore: Punjab University Examination Department on Wednesday issued date sheets of different examinations.

According to PU spokesperson, MA Education (Elementary/Secondary/General) Part-I Supplementary Examination 2013 and Annual Examination 2014 will commence from July 2 instead of June 26, 2014.

The details are available at PU website www.pu.edu.pk.

workshop: A two-day workshop "Introduction to Quality Management System Principles, ISO 9001: 2008 and its Requirements" started at Punjab University (PU) here on Wednesday.

Rs2.68b UVAS budget approved
Lahore: University of Veterinary and Animal Science (UVAS) Syndicate Friday approved Rs2.681 billion university budget for the financial year 2014-15.

The 37th meeting of the syndicate was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha which besides approving Rs956.785 million deficit budget also approved various degree programmes, appointments of faculty members and affiliation to two private institutes.

Presenting the budget before the syndicate, the UVAS Treasurer Muhammad Aslam Pervaiz said the university expected an income of Rs2.633 billion from different sources during the financial year 2014-15. About the budget breakdown, he said Rs1.675 billion have been allocated for the development projects. Non-development expenditures are estimated at Rs1.541 billion.

The VC said university had recorded 52 percent increase in its income from its own resources in financial year 2013-14 and was expecting to generate Rs405.543 million from its own resources in the financial year 2014-15. He said the university generated Rs218.559 million in financial year 2012-13 from its own resources and Rs332.95 million in 2013-14. He said the faculty members were contributing a hefty amount to the university income through their competitive research grants. They won research grants of Rs80.226 million in 2012-13 and Rs197.49 million in 2013-14 with 146 percent increase.

Prof Pasha said Rs1.7 billion would be spent on development with two new development projects one each funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Punjab government. The HEC has sanctioned Rs100 million for new project of "Establishment of Research Facilities at Ravi Campus" while the Punjab government has sanctioned Rs1.3 billion for development of a new "University of Veterinary Science at Bahawalpur, he told the meeting. A sum of Rs287.547 million will be spent on ongoing uplift projects. He said the Punjab government was focusing on the development of South Punjab and the University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Bahawalpur was being established to meet the growing needs of professionals and the livestock sector. Besides Rs1.3 billion grant, the Punjab government has provided 1,000 acre land for this university adjacent to Bahawalpur City, he added.

The VC said the Punjab government had provided Rs500 million for the university endowment fund during the last three years; the university had increased scholarship amount for students and provided Rs18.8 million scholarships in 2012-13 and Rs28 million in 2013-14. He said the university was providing free-of-cost education to 35 students of Balochistan and spent Rs10.88 million on their fee exemption.

The Syndicate approved new degree programmes, including PhD and MPhil in disciplines of Genetic and Zoology; MSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and BS (Hons) in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry (Evening), BS (Hons) Biotechnology (Evening) and change of name of the Degree of BS (Hons) Applied Zoology to BS (Hons) Zoology; change of name of Department of Livestock Economics and Business as Department of Economics and Business Management.

The university granted affiliation to Kings College of Health Sciences, Sahiwal for Degree of BS (Hons) Biochemistry, BS (Hons) Applied Zoology and Allama Iqbal Institute of Life Sciences, Narowal, for two-year "Livestock Assistant" Diploma Course. The Syndicate approved appointments of professors on tenure track system and assistant professors/lecturers in different departments. Earlier, the VC briefed the Syndicate members on various academic, research and development programmes of the varsity.

VU Scholarships
Lahore: Virtual University (VU) has awarded need-based and merit scholarships for spring 2014 to 750 students of the university.

A VU spokesperson said 523 students were awarded merit scholarships to encourage healthy academic competitions while 227 deserving students were awarded need-based scholarships.

Virtual University disbursed Rs 8.3 million among the 750 successful students, he said, adding that the list of scholarship winners is available at the website www.vu.edu.pk.

PU timing in Ramazan
Lahore: Punjab University has issued a notification of office timings for Ramazan-ul-Mubarik. PU will remain opened from 8am to 2pm on Monday to Thursday and from 8am to 12pm on Friday.

PTU protest on 26th
Lahore: Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) has postponed its Tuesday (today) protest against the Punjab government in the wake of prevailing situation of the country. According to a press release, now the protest will be held outside the Punjab Assembly on June 26.

AIOU exams postponed; students suffer
Lahore: Hundreds of candidates, appearing in different examinations of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), had to suffer on Monday as most of them came to know about the postponement of exams only after reaching their respective exam centres.

A large number of students, accompanied by their parents/guardians were seen worried at one such exam centre set up at Government Girls Higher Secondary School Sant Nagar near the Commissioner's Office. The students, appearing in BEd and MEd exams, had come from different parts of the provincial metropolis and had no idea that their exams had been postponed by AIOU authorities. It is learnt the AIOU management had postponed exams in the wake of emerging situation vis--vis arrival of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. A short statement on AIOU website reads "All papers cancel in Punjab and Islamabad on June 23, 2014 due to law and order." So far, AIOU has not announced as to when the said exams will be held.

PhD awarded
Lahore: Government College University (GCU) has awarded PhD degree to a scholar in Chemistry.

According to a press release, title of Sabahat Zahra Siddiqui's thesis was "Investigations on the Chemical Constituents of Olea Ferrugenia and Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules Containing 2, 5- Disubstituted-1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole Core" which she completed under the supervision of Dr Muhammad Athar Abbasi. The news