Higher education: GCU announces three new faculty positions

‘The university will benefit from the services of people who might not meet the customary hiring criteria’

LAHORE: The Government College University (GCU) announced on Friday to introduce three new positions – professor of practice, writer in residence and artiste in residence.

Speaking at the second session of the university’s 14th convocation, Vice Chancellor Hassan Amir Shah said these positions would enable the university to benefit from the services of internationally acclaimed scholars, writers and artists. He said such people could not be inducted on existing faculty positions because they might not meet the customary requirements for university service. The outstanding acumen would enrich the academic environment at the university, he added.

The vice chancellor said the three positions had been approved by the university syndicate. He said appointments would be made on the posts after fulfillment of the statutory requirements. He said that GCU was the first public-sector university in the country to introduce these posts.

Shah said that with help from the United States Consulate General Lahore, the GCU would be setting up a Lincoln Corner at its main library. “The facility will work for promotion of education and democracy – two values held dear by both countries,” he said. He said that besides housing a collection of US government publications the facility would also provide uninterrupted access to several US-based online-library databases. He said lectures, workshops and cultural performances would regularly be arranged at the Lincoln Corner.

Addressing the graduates, Shah said they had successfully crossed an important milestone in their lives. He urged them to find a niche for themselves in their professions. “The challenge before you [graduates] is to remain committed to the values you were taught at the university as you face the onslaught of time,” he said. “You will be compelled [on occasions] to compromise on the values of ingenuity, prudence and diligence,” he said.

Earlier, bachelors of arts and sciences (honours) degrees were awarded to 996 graduates. Medals and rolls of honour were given to 34 position holders, including 14 female graduates.

Speaking to The Express Tribune GCU Controller of Examinations Haroon Qadir said that among top position holders male students had outnumbered their female colleagues after several years.

The positions holders were Zulqarnain Khan, Zaira Saleem, Muniza Almas, Aqid Hussain, Muhammad Ashfaq, Khadeeja Ikram, Syed Mehran Hussain, Mannan Hassan Khan, Sameen Mashkoor, Ayesha Hanif, Yamin Razaq, Arsalan Amjad, Rab Nawaz, Muhammad Saad Alam, Sarmad Siddiqi, Mehwish Malik, Aniqa Amer, Hira Zikrea, Anam Khan, Hassan Virk, Tahir Sohail, Sabaenah Salim, Ali Zeeshan Shah, Anam Elahi Bhutta, Ayesha Haroon, Hamza Ali Butt, Kamil Khan, Waris Ali, Toqueer Ahmed, Asad Hussain, Kiran Javaid, Attif Raza, Muhammad Bilal Rasool and Lubna Khalid.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2016.