PMAS-AAUR: Doctorates awarded to 42 at Arid Agriculture University convocation

Around 646 students awarded undergraduate degrees.

ISLAMABAD: Around 32 gold medals were conferred on students of Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi in its 16th convocation held at the Convention Centre here on Monday.

In total 2,109 successful students of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) were awarded degrees. Forty two students awarded PhD, 365 MPhil, while 1,056 were conferred masters degrees.

Around 646 students were awarded undergraduate degrees in their respective disciplines.

The chief guest on the occasion, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the country was passing through a crucial phase and due to the various challenges faced by the country there was a scarcity of jobs. He advised students to work as entrepreneurs and play their role in strengthening the national economy.

PMAS-AAUR Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad said, “The Planning Commission has approved an amount of Rs751 million for strengthening of newly-established Faculty of Agriculture Engineering and Technology this year,” he remarked.

Dr Ahmad said that they were endeavouring to nurture a culture of entrepreneurship.

He said that they were focusing on ostrich farming, students’ entrepreneurship projects, fancy birds breeding centre and farm modernisation and mechanisation initiatives.

Higher Education Commission Chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that those universities that did not meet the criteria of higher education would be closed adding no compromise would be made on quality.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2015.