2820 Graduates Awarded Degrees Of Arid Agriculture University

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2017 ) : A total 2820 graduates were awarded degrees, while 59 decorated with medals in the 18th convocation of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) here on Thursday.

As many as 43 graduates got gold medals, 8 silver medals, 8 bronze medals while 1785 postgraduate, 1000 undergraduate and 35 Ph.D graduates were awarded with degrees. Two students also achieved the Gold Medals sponsored by the Bank of Punjab while a student of Literacy Center also got Gold medal.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, was the chief guest while PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad, Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Center (PARC) Dr Yousaf Zafar, faculty members and graduates were also present on the occasion.

Sheikh Aftab Ahmad in his address, said the adoption of modern agriculture accompanied by trained manpower would not only help improve living standards but also produce quality commodities for the international market.

He said there is a dire need to put in efforts in research related activities and it is highly encouraging to know that this university has been playing its due role in this respect. "We are living in the era of advance technologies where life has become sophisticated and survival of nations greatly depends upon education and learning only," he said.

He advised the students to take lead in the practical endeavors with full zeal and confidence as the nation is anxiously waiting for the fruit of their hard work and dedication in the form of improved livelihood of fellow countrymen.

He also congratulated the parents for the success of their children who have brought them an honor and dignity in the form of prestigious degrees and medals. Earlier, in his welcome address, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad congratulated the graduates for achieving degrees and asked them that technological advancement & globalization have led the mankind to complex living which adversely affected the docile cultural values.

He advised that they must have to play a positive and constructive role for amicable resolution of food security, environmental degradation of agro-systems and worst of all extremism. He pointed out that in order to cater the needs and broaden the scope of agriculture and allied disciplines academic programmes have been enhanced from 67 to 81 degree programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.

At present, he said the student strength has reached to 12,000 as compared with 6,000 in the year 2012-13and the academic structure of the university has been strengthened through establishment of two new faculties including Faculty of Agriculture Engineering and Technology and Faculty of Social Sciences.