PM announces Rs50m for GCU endowment fund

Says the money is doing a great job in facilitating students

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced a donation of Rs50 million, on behalf of the federal government, for the Government College University Lahore Endowment Fund Trust (GCU-EFT) at the annual fundraising dinner 2018. The money will fund scholarships for the university's financially-disadvantaged students.

The prime minister, who was the chief guest at the fundraising gala, said the endowment fund of GCU was doing a great job in helping deserving students.

On the same day, the Old Ravians and philanthropists donated about Rs14.91 million to the GCU-EFT. Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana and Vice Chancellor Dr Hassan Amir Shah were also present on the occasion.

Besides other alumni, Lahore High Court Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan, an Old Ravian, also donated Rs5 million to the fund on behalf of he and his family. Eminent industrialist Iqbal Z Ahmed sought the government's approval to establish a world-class business school at GCU in the name of his parents.



"Honourable prime minister and respected governor, I have a selfish reason to invite you here at GCU,” said Ahmed. He added that he, his family and group of associates, both from Pakistan and aboard, were ready donating this state-of-the-art business school to GCU which was estimated to be cost $ 5 million. They just need government's approval for this very purpose.

Ahmed said that the income from the school would go the GCU Endowment Fund Trust for the scholarships of deserving students.

GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that the GCU campus, built for a few hundred students almost 15 decades ago, now housed more than 12,000 students, faculty and staff members.

He requested the prime minister and governor to fast track allocations from Higher Education Commission and the Punjab government for establishment and completion of the university's new campus at Kala Shah Kaku.

Dr Shah appreciated the untiring efforts of the GCU EFT executive committee members, Iqbal Z Ahmed, Mian Misbahur Rehman, Dr Parvez Hassan, Mian Muhammad Ashraf, Javaid Oberoi, Zia Rizvi and Dr Khalid Maznoor Butt for the strengthening the university's endowment fund.

Speaking on the occasion, GCU EFT Executive Committee Secretary Dr Khalid Maznoor Butt said this year, the trust awarded scholarships worth Rs12.5 million to the university's almost 550 financially-challenged students which included around 48 golden scholarships which covered the university fee and hostel expenses of a student. He said that the trust had overall awarded more than Rs70.6 million scholarships to 2,250 students since 2009.

"Yesterday, it was a big day for us when a student, who was awarded scholarship around five years back by GCU-EFT, came to donate Rs50,000 to the fund from his salary," the secretary said .

Dr Butt told the trust donors that the scholarships were given purely on merit after the interview of candidates by the GCU's financial aid committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2018.