BAHAWALPUR
The first International Linguistics and Language Teaching conference has started at Islamia University of Bahawalpur with the participation of more than 150 delegates from Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Yemen and Pakistan.
Two sessions were held on the opening day in which the speakers highlighted the value and importance of languages and the ways to promote and preserve languages. MNA Begum Parveen Masood Bhatti and Desert Rangers Sector Commander Brig Riazul Hassan were the chief guests on the occasion while IUB Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Mukhtar presided over the inaugural session of the conference. The conference is being arranged under the auspices of the Higher Education Commission.
The vice chancellor in his presidential address said that Pakistan would soon be a reckoned force of the world as she was full of youth potential. The national youth were determined to serve the nation and country enthusiastically and devotedly to make her a strong and progressive state, he added.
Dr Mukhtar remarked that the improvement of Islamia University of Bahawalpur in the HEC ranking was the result of working hard and support of the teaching staff and students towards their commitment to making it one of the best and leading university of the country.
He remarked that it had the honour of availing the services of renowned personalities as vice-chancellors who earned fame through their research and publications in different fields. He further said that the selection for the installation of the solar energy power plant at Islamia University was also a big achievement and a proof of increasing rate of development and progress in academic, research and community development and social service fields.
He said, “The IUB is fully supporting all languages for the promotion and as a result, we have recently announced to award an honourary PhD degree to renowned Urdu Broadcaster Raza Ali Abidi in recognition of his services in the field of broadcasting.
He thanked the HEC for arranging the international conference here and congratulated the chairperson of the English Department, IUB Dr Memona Ghani and the staff of the department over taking the initiative.
MNA Parveen Masood in her address appreciated the ongoing progress and development of the Islamia University in different fields including education and research. She said that the university was performing commendably.
Dr Memona said on the occasion that the English Department was heading towards progress day by day through its remarkable performance.
The Dean, Faculty of Arts, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Dr Shizra Munnawer highly appreciated the move and termed it a good addition to exchange views and knowledge through this platform. She said that such international conferences were highly important and beneficiary for the scholars and intellectuals to share and promote knowledge.
Italy’s renowned sociologist Monic Longa, MPAs Fouzia Ayub Qureshi, Hassina Naz, Dr Razia Mussarat, Malik Habibullah, Syed Tabish Alvri, representatives of BCCI, notables, faculty members and students attended the conference.