MANSEHRA   -  More than 500 gradu­ates were awarded de­grees and gold medals at the 13th convocation of Hazara University here on Tuesday. Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali was the chief guest of the convocation, attended by parents of the graduating students, their families, former vice-chancellors, educa­tional and socio-political personalities, as well as a large number of dignitar­ies from the area, includ­ing top provincial admin­istration.

Speaking on the occa­sion, Ghulam Ali, who is also the chancellor of the universities, stressed the need for equipping students with skills and scientific knowledge. “About 52 per cent of the country’s population consists of women, and we have to pay full at­tention to the higher ed­ucation of girls so that they can play their role in the development of the country,” he told the graduates.

“We have lagged far be­hind in economic devel­opment due to the lack of academia-industry link­ages, and the universi­ty professors and facul­ty members should come forward to fill this gap,” he added. He said uni­versity students should be given hands-on train­ing in industrial units, of­fices, and similar types in the last year of their ed­ucation.

Speaking on the occa­sion, Higher Education Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that Paki­stan was blessed with agricultural and miner­al wealth. “Our youth are no less than anyone in talent, skill, and ability, and you can do wonders by moving forward as a team,” he added.

“You have to use your education and experi­ence to present solu­tions to various prob­lems facing society, and for that purpose, you have to go beyond re­search papers and work on the practical front,” he told the faculty.

Provincial Minister for Higher Education Prof. Dr Qasim Jan said that the provincial govern­ment was making every effort to align the quali­ty of education in univer­sities with international standards so that young graduates could come up with solutions to Paki­stan’s issues.

Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof. Dr. Mo­hsin Nawaz presented the highlights of the uni­versity’s annual report for the year 2022 and briefed the participants about the educational research, administrative and architectural devel­opments, and positions being held at the Uni­versity.