Pakistan ideal for dreamers to realise potential: Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan

SMTU confers degrees on 213 graduates

Though the US has long been called the land of opportunity, one of Pakistan’s top nuclear scientists believes that said the country is the perfect place for those with dreams to realise them.

This was stated by nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan while addressing the fifth convocation of the Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU) at the Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad.

During the convocation, degrees, gold medals and awards were conferred upon 213 graduates.

Dr Khan said that through skills such as positive thinking and hard work, anything could be achieved. He stressed on the graduates to support the vision of placing Pakistan among top countries of the world in terms of education and research.

Despite expressing his confidence in the capability of students, he reminded that Pakistan’s education was still lagging far behind international standards.

“We have to prepare our students so that they are able to face any challenge arising in any environment and anywhere in the world,” he said.

He advised students to abide by the oath they took during the convocation to struggle for making the country a welfare state where everyone is allowed to live their life on the basis of social justice.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed congratulated all graduates and added that Pakistani students possess excellent skills and abilities which could be used for the betterment of the country.

He added that trustworthiness, honesty, integrity and loyalty were the only principles which would upgrade us as a nation.

Later on, Dr Khan and Dr Ahmed agave away degrees, prizes and medals.

Degrees for Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelors of Surgery (MBBS) was conferred on 102 students while  37 students were awarded the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), 38 Bachelors of Science in Nursing Post-RN, and 19 Associate of Science in Medical Technology (ASMT).

As many as six students were conferred the degree of Masters of Science in Nursing, while 11 students were conferred Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degrees.

Dr Muhammad Faizan Khalid was awarded ‘Dr M Amin Gold Medal’ for outstanding performance in first professional (Part-1). Dr Syed Ali Raza Gillani was awarded the ‘Dr Syed Qamar Alam Gold Medal’, ‘Dr Zaheer Ahmed Gold Medal’ and the ‘D. Nazeer Ahmed Gold Medal’ for outstanding performance in first professional (Part-2), second professional and third professional MBBS respectively. The ‘Dr Syed Touqeer Ali Shah Gold Medal’ was awarded to Dr Ayesha Hassan for outstanding performance in final professional MBBS.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2018.