430 Graduates Awarded Degrees in 12th UMT Convocation 2016
Tuesday, April 19 2016
As many as 430 graduates were awarded degrees in the 12th UMT Convocation held on April 16, 2016. Akram Khan Durrani, Federal Minister for Housing and Works and former Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkha, was the chief guest on the occasion. Prof Dr Nizam-ud-Din, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, Punjab, Saleem Ghouri, CEO, Netsol Technologies, and Saleem Ranjha, Secretary, Benazir Income Support Program, graced the occasion as the guests of honor.
Addressing on the occasion, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT, congratulated the graduating students, their families, and friends and emphasized on them to endow their services for the country and the nation. Dr Hasan said that only knowledge is the real strength and ultimate power, which if obtained conscientiously could change fate of the nations. Reshaping future of UMT as the hub of research culture, Dr. Murad said that in next couple of years UMT would turn into fully-furnished research university. The Rector, while referring to research activities at UMT said that last year, 70 research articles by UMT faculty members were published in HEC recognized journals and 41 of these had impact factors. Dr Hasan added that UMT is giving international exposure to its faculty as 20 faculty members are en-route to George Mason University, USA for faculty training and development. Prof Bob Wheeler from USA would soon be taking over as new Dean Dr Hasan Murad School of Management (HSM).
Expressing his views, Akram Khan Durrani, Federal Minister for Housing and Works, said that he is both surprised and delighted to learn how UMT developed into a great place of learning from its humble beginnings. He said that government circles are impressed by the quality of education being imparted by this University. He added that UMT graduates are well equipped to play their key role in the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Prof Dr Nizam-ud-Din, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, Punjab, said that degrees are only useful when their seekers connect the achieved knowledge and learning with real practical world. He said HEC Punjab was planning to allocate more research funds to both public and private sector universities.
In the Convocation, total 430 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in various disciplines were conferred upon graduates. And only one PhD degree in Clinical Psychology was given away. On the other hand, 12 gold and silver medals, 24 innovation, and entrepreneurship awards, 12 alumni achievement awards, 3 best research project awards and 10 best research publication awards,7 patron’s medals, 3 rector’s medals, 2 academic excellence awards were conferred upon during the Convocation. Director General UMT Abid HK Shirwani, Controller Examination Saleem Atta and members of Board of Governors were present on the occasion.