NUST convocation: Some elements using religion to oppose polio vaccines says Mamnoon

At least 323 graduates including 35 PhDs awarded degrees.

ISLAMABAD:

President Mamnoon Hussain has said that some elements were using religion as a tool to misguide the public about polio vaccines but the government was committed to eradicating it at any costs. 

While speaking at the eighth convocation of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), he said that the government was fully aware of the situation and would take every possible step to wipe out the crippling virus.

The presidents also urged all institutions to work in unison for the progress, prosperity and economic development of the country.

Chief of the Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif also attended the ceremony.

Hussain said the government was committed to the development of human resource and promotion of education in the country.

He said the government’s “Vision 2025” was a blueprint for sustainable development with special focus on energy, national security, economic stability and self-sufficiency, improvement of telecom network, promotion of small and medium enterprises and strengthening of democratic institutions.

The president said that the government was working on a plan to establish a “Science and Technology Park” to use advanced technologies to increase the GDP.

He expressed satisfaction that NUST was also making similar efforts to set up a Science and Technology Park and its graduates had already established more than 50 companies under the ambit of the university’s “business incubator”. Hussain said universities could play an important role in the creation of knowledge-based economies. He said the focus of the government’s science and technology policy was to promote nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology to improve the quality of commercial products.

The president appreciated that NUST students have started their own businesses by using their knowledge and skill. He said NUST’s entrepreneurs could benefit from the government’s youth programme to start their businesses.

The president urged the graduating students to contribute to development of the country.

NUST Rector Muhammad Asghar said that so far the university has awarded 15,633 bachelor, 3,015 master and 81 PhD degrees. He said that the eighth convocation witnessed awarding of degrees to 323 students out of which 35 were PhDs. The rector said NUST has linkages with 90 universities in 30 countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2014.