University of Cambridge announces 2014 scholarships
Lahore, May 10: Two outstanding Pakistani students have been awarded 2014 Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships to fund their undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge.

The scholarships have been made possible thanks to funding from the parent organisation of Cambridge International Examinations (Cambridge Assessment).

The Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships were launched in 2009 to enable students from Pakistan to study at the university without the worry of creating a financial burden for their families. The scholarships provide full funding, covering fees and means-tested maintenance for undergraduate study at the university.

Cambridge International Examinations Chief Executive Michael O' Sullivan said: "We are delighted to award our outstanding students with the 2014 Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships. We believe that getting into university is really only the first step and that developing the skills to get on in both work and life is just as important. We wish our new scholars every success as they continue their academic careers and look forward to life beyond university."Daily times

PU exams, results
Lahore: Punjab University (PU) has notified that MA Education Part-I, Supplementary Examination 2013, and Annual Examination 2014, will commence from June 26, 2014 while MA Education Part-II (Elementary, Secondary, General), Supplementary Examination 2013, and Annual Examination 2014, will commence from June 4, 2014. PU Examinations Department announced results of MA Persian Part-I, Supplementary Exam 2013, MA Physical Education Part-I & II, Supplementary Exam 2013, and MSc Mathematics Part-II, Supplementary Exam 2013.

Three foreign varsities to set up campuses
Lahore: Three memorandums of understanding were signed between the Punjab government and international universities at a local hotel here Thursday.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest. Higher Education Secretary Abdullah Sunbal and representatives of international universities signed the documents. Under the agreements International Scottish Qualification Authority UK, COMSATS/University of Lancaster and Noor International University will set up their campuses in the Knowledge Park to be established in Lahore. The institutions will extend cooperation for the promotion of research in Punjab. Similarly, they will also share their experiences and skills for promoting higher education in Punjab as well as award scholarships to students.

Addressing the function, the chief minister welcomed the signing of the agreements and said that all possible measures would be taken to give a practical shape to the agreements as early as possible. He said that education was essential for achieving the goal of national development and prosperity as well as overcoming extremism, poverty, unemployment and other problems. Keeping in view the importance of the education, he said, the Punjab government has attached top priority to the development of education in the province. He said the Knowledge Park was being set up over a large area in Lahore where prominent universities of the world were setting up their campuses which would promote research.

He said the Knowledge Park was being set up at an extremely prime location of Lahore and it would be a centre of knowledge and research. He said the Knowledge Park was based on the vision to take Pakistan forward and scholars and researchers to be produced in the park would bring laurels to the country. Shahbaz Sharif said the Information Technology University would be shifted to the park while a kidney and liver research centre as well as institutes of medical and other important sectors would also be established in the park. He said the promotion of education was the most important method to eradicate extremism, terrorism and militancy. He said that compared to bullets, education was more effective to deal with extremism.

The chief minister said Daanish schools had been set up in South Punjab to counter extremism and educational facilities at a par with prestigious educational institutions of the country were being provided to children of extremely poor families free in the educational institutions. "Smart boards are used in Daanish schools for imparting education to the students. Youths completing their education from Daanish schools will play an important role in the progress and development of the country. Besides establishing Daanish schools, laptops have also been distributed among talented students purely on merit and scholars of seminaries have also been included in the laptop distribution programme so that they could benefit from education and research work being carried out in top universities all over the world," he added.

He said that Britain had been extending commendable cooperation in education and other sectors. "Vocational training has been imparted to more than 40,000 children under the Skill Development Programme initiated with the collaboration of DFID. The British prime minister, ministers and senior officials have appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government for the improvement of education, skill development and other sectors which is an honor for the Punjab government," he added.

He said the school reforms programme being implemented with the cooperation of Britain was also yielding highly positive results. The chief minister said the provision of modern education and empowerment of the youth was the mission of the Punjab government. "The youth of the country will be provided with honourable job opportunities and the challenge will be turned into golden opportunities. The agreements signed with the international universities will soon be translated into reality," he observed.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said targets of development could not be achieved without bringing women into the mainstream of national development. He appealed to daughters of the nation to take an active part in the process of development so that Pakistan could make rapid progress. He said the Punjab government had taken solid measures for the empowerment of women and a programme of the provision of small loans to women had been started. He said, "The Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park is being set up over a vast area near motorway which will help create one million new job opportunities," he added. In reply to another question, Shahbaz Sharif said that there were vast opportunities of development and investment in agriculture, livestock and dairy farming sectors and their promotion would help strengthen the national economy.

British Council Pakistan Country Director Peter Upton, in his address, commended the efforts being made by the Punjab government for the promotion of education in the province. He said the British prime minister had also lauded the measures taken for the uplift of education in Punjab. He said the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, Daanish schools and Punjab Education Reforms Roadmap are world level programmes which would leave a positive impact on the education sector. Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Parliamentary Secretary on Higher Education, Secretary Higher Education and 80 delegates of 15 countries including India, Sri Lanka, America, Canada and Britain participated in the function.

GCU awards four PhDs
Lahore: Government College University (GCU) has awarded PhDs to four scholars in mathematics.

According to a press release, the GCU has issued notifications after approval of theses of Danish Ali, Muhammad Kamran Siddiqui, Afshan Tabassum and Abdul Rauf.

Danish Ali completed his thesis on the topics of "Hermitian Geometry of Twistor Spaces" under the supervision of Prof Dr Oleg Mushkarov and Prof Dr Johann Davidov. Muhammad Kamran Siddiqui completed his thesis under the supervision of Prof Dr Martin Baca. Afshan Tabassum completed her thesis entitled "Spectral Characterisations for Hyers-ulam Stability" under the supervision of Prof Dr Constantin Base. Abdul Rauf completed his thesis "Some Flows of Non-Newtonian Fluids," under the supervision of Prof Dr Constantin Fetecau. The news

Tech festival begins at GCU
Lahore: The three-day technology festival, Softronix 2014, has begun at the Government College University (GCU) with an aim to give students from all over the country an opportunity to show their talent in the field of information technology and to share their innovative ideas.

According to a press release, 150 students from 10 educational institutions, including the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, University of Management and Technology, Beaconhouse National University, COMSATS and Lahore University of Management Sciences, are participating in the festival organised by the GCU's Computer Science Department. Seminars, workshops and competitions, including Speed Wiring, Minute to Win It, Photography Session, Web Development, Programming, Counter Strike, Circuit Designing, E-Gaming, Dare to Hunt, Rocket Designing, Robo Wars and Robo Navigation, will be held during the festival.

GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleequr Rahman said that besides academics and research activities, the university was focusing on professional training and character building of students. Daily times

PhD degrees
Lahore: Government College University (GCU) has awarded PhD degrees to two scholars in the subject of Urdu.

According to a press release, PhDs have been awarded to Muhammad Iqbal Kamran and Noureen Khokhar after approval of their theses "Pakistan Main Amli Tanqeed Ka Tehqeeqi Wa Tanqeedi Jaizah" and "Ashfaq Ahmed Kay Afsanon Ka Ikhlaqi Tanazur" respectively under the supervision of Prof Dr Saadat Saeed. The news