BAHAWALPUR     -   Chairman Punjab Higher Education Com­mission (PHC) Prof Dr Shahid Munir has said that the country can be given a high position at the world level only by con­verting the workforce into human wealth. In this regard, the role of universities is key, which can transform unskilled peo­ple into professional workforce. 

Prof Dr Shahid Munir expressed these views while addressing a meeting of Deans, Directors and Principal Officers of the Isla­mia University of Bahawalpur at the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat in Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus on Wednesday morning. 

He said that it is very gratifying that the Islamia University of Bahawalpur is making progress in this direction under the leader­ship of Vice Chancellor Engr Prof Dr Athar Mahboob and the achievements achieved at the teaching and research forum are worthy of imitation for all universities. Especially, the establishment of new departments in health, medical allied sciences, engineer­ing and information technology and other issues and providing a large number of admissions for male and female students is a very good initiative. He said that he was very happy to visit the Islamia Univer­sity of Bahawalpur and visited the historic Abbasia Campus of IUB and also visited the indisputable Solar Park in Baghdad ul Jadeed Campus. He said that he had the pleasure of visiting the College of Nursing, Business Management, Sports Facilities, Health Center and also Pharmacy and other departments in Khawaja Farid Campus. He said that the Baghdad ul Jadeed campus is undoubtedly the fulfillment of a dream and such a dream is a center of knowledge that quenches the thirst of knowledge for stu­dents living in the length and breadth of the country. Today in Islamia University Baha­walpur students from Gilgit-Baltistan to remote areas of Balochistan are engaged in teaching and research activities with local students. He said that the steps taken by the Islamia University of Bahawalpur for na­tional food self-sufficiency and restoration of agricultural economy are very welcome. 

In this regard, the initiation of a pilot project to increase rainfall in Cholistan is a good news, which can increase the national economy by $10 billion. The University of Nursing College is a master­piece of the Vice Chancellor’s vision. 

Currently, there is a great need for nurs­ing in the Middle East and Europe and there is a great demand for nursing in the country as well, which the Islamia University Baha­walpur has established a nursing college with modern facilities. He said that arts and social sciences are also very important for a balanced society and in this regard Islamia University Bahawalpur is making progress in social sciences, social services, new mas­ters in College of Art and Design and all these are the best steps in this direction.