GCU – Newswire Pakistan

March 15, 2023March 16, 2023

GCU Holds Panel Discussions On Women’s Leadership Roles

Lahore, March 15, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Government College University Lahore on Tuesday hosted a panel discussion on Women in Leadership Roles: Breaking the Glass Ceiling, moderated by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi.
The panellists included Ombudsperson for Punjab, Nabila Hakim; Secretary of Women Development Department Punjab, Sumaira Samad; Founder of Alvir Airways, Huma Batool; Chairperson of Political Science Department GCU, Ms. Fauzia Ghani; Renowned Writer and Columnist Amna Mufti and Ms. Sumera Khalil, Incharge Women Development Center, GCU.

The discussion covered various topics related to women’s rights, property rights, workplace security, women’s contributions to the economy, and societal norms and discrimination. The panellists highlighted the challenges women face in male-dominated fields and the gains women have made in various sectors.

The Vice-Chancellor summarized the discussion, linking it with gender-neutral appreciation of work, gender mainstreaming, and social policy. He also said that the event aimed to support and empower women by creating a safe and inclusive environment for learning and development. The event was hosted by the co-Incharge GCU Women Development Centre Ms. Syeda Naima Kazmi.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Department,
Government College University (GCU)
Squash Complex, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-000-010 Ext: 296
Tel: +92-42-99213343
Cell: +92-321-8440769
Email: registrar@gcu.edu.pk
Website: http://www.gcu.edu.pk

March 15, 2023March 16, 2023

GCU Announces Lifetime Achievement Award for 10 Alumni

Lahore, March 15, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Government College University Lahore has announced the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards to be bestowed upon ten of its distinguished alumni who have made significant contributions to society in their respective fields. The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Asghar Zaidi, made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that the awards will be presented during the 21st convocation of GCU scheduled to be held on March 17 and 18.

The list of honourees includes renowned personalities from diverse fields, such as religious scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, former foreign minister Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri, lawyer and TV personality Syed Naeem Altaf Bokhari, singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, and former education minister Shafqat Mahmood. Other recipients are Ch. Akhtar Rasool for his contributions to sports, Usman Peerzada for his work in theatre, Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman for his contributions to philanthropy, Prof. Dr. Mahmood Shaukat for his work in healthcare, and Mirza Athar Baig for his contributions to literature.

Announcing the Lifetime Achievement Awards, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Asghar Zaidi said that GCU has a long tradition of recognizing its accomplished alumni, and these Lifetime Achievement Awards have now become an integral part of this tradition. “The awards are a symbol of the university’s appreciation for the achievements of our alumni, and they serve as an inspiration for future generations of students to follow in their footsteps,” he added.

In last two years’ year, the University conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards on S.M. Zafar, Mustansar Husain Tarar, Dr Pervez Hassan, Zia Mohyeddin, Syed Babar Ali, Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, Aitzaz Ahsan, Dr. Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Hadiqa Kiani, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Ramiz Raja, Prof. Dr. Javed Akram, Shamshad Ahmad, Prof. Khursheed Rizvi and Professor Ahmed Rafique Akhtar.

March 13, 2023March 14, 2023

GCU to integrate CHATGPT into teaching methods

Lahore, March 13, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Government College University (GCU) Lahore plans to integrate ChatGPT, a powerful language model developed by OpenAI, into its teaching methods to enhance the quality and effectiveness of education. In an open letter to faculty members, the GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi, encouraged faculty to explore the various applications of ChatGPT, which can understand and respond to human language through state-of-the-art natural language processing. The Vice Chancellor told the faculty that ChatGPT could assist teaching in several ways.

“As a tutor, it can provide answers to students’ questions about a particular topic. As a writing assistant, it can offer students suggestions on improving their writing assignments. As a discussion partner, it can facilitate discussions on topics related to the course,” he said. Prof Zaidi believes that ChatGPT can improve students’ overall academic performance by enhancing their critical thinking skills and engagement with course material.

The Vice Chancellor encouraged faculty members to integrate ChatGPT into their teaching methods, stating that the incorporation of innovative tools and platforms such as ChatGPT could revolutionize how teachers and students learn and teach, leading to better learning outcomes for students. Prof. Zaidi also emphasised that rather than fearing artificial intelligence (AI), we should focus on effectively utilising its capabilities to enhance human capabilities and reap the potential benefits of AI in various industries.

March 10, 2023March 11, 2023

Inclusive tradition as physically-challenged students carry torch at annual sports

Lahore, March 10, 2023 (PPI-OT): The 122nd Annual Sports of Government College University Lahore has commenced with a splendid opening ceremony held at the university’s Oval Ground. The event is set to span over three days and will witness the participation of 10,000 students from 36 departments of the university, and it will feature an array of activities such as an athletics meet, gymkhana events, and a march past.

This year, a new tradition was introduced, as physically-challenged students were given the honour of carrying the torch for the university’s annual sports instead of athletes. The torch was handed over to physically challenged students by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi, who held it proudly during the opening ceremony.

The torch relay for the 122nd Annual Sports began from the Governor’s House, where Ravians cheered and waved the flag of Government College University Lahore. Governor of Punjab, Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, lit a spiral-shaped torch and handed it over to Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi.

The Vice-Chancellor, along with Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali Randhawa, rallied his sportsmen on The Mall to the University’s Clock Tower. At the tower, the torch was passed on to a physically challenged student, who doesn’t have hands, but held the torch proudly with his feet.

A significant number of foreign students and faculty members also took part in the grand march past at the university’s Oval Ground.

The Department of Commerce and Finance was declared the winner of the best march-past contingent trophy, followed by the Departments of International Relations and Law, who were adjudged second. The contingents of the Department of Psychology and Sustainable Development Study Centre shared the third position.

In addition to the annual sports, the opening ceremony was also marked by Qawali Night, adding to the vibrancy of the event.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chancellor Prof. Zaidi highlighted the significance of sports as a tool for peace and development globally. He added that sports at GCU Lahore have a strong legacy, and being one of the oldest seats of higher learning in the subcontinent, they should never ignore its significance and role in community development. He appreciated the increasing participation of girls in sports. He also shared the tremendous achievements of the male and female athletes of GCU in the inter-university games last year.

Commissioner Lahore Randhawa extended his greetings and felicitations to the students of GCU and the city of Lahore as they also celebrate Spring Festival 2023, along with the University’s 122nd annual sports. “This year’s celebration is unique in the sense that a series of colourful events have been structured as part of Spring Festival 2023. One highlight of the Festival is a collaboration with universities,” he said.

June 23, 2021June 24, 2021

GCU initiates research competition on challenges, opportunities in COVID-19 world

Lahore, June 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Government College University Lahore has initiated a research competition on the theme of “Challenges and Opportunities in the COVID-19 World”, and cash prizes would be awarded to the best three theses. The undergraduate students of eight academic departments would research on the theme from the perspective of their discipline.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi said “it is our prime responsibility to produce research that creates an impact beyond academia, and that can change the experiences of our society. We cannot afford to churn out research that is irrelevant to our present-day needs.”

The Vice-Chancellor said that they see a huge gap between academia, state and industry, adding that in the Western world, funding agencies and Universities always encourage graduate applications and research which have the potential to help the governing institutions and industries to improve the quality of life.”

While explaining the benefits of this initiative for students and society, Prof Zaidi said: “by encouraging our students to write on such themes, we will prepare them for new opportunities of scholarships at the topmost institutions and industries. At the same time, we will be producing a body of knowledge which will be used by policymakers, state officials and even general public to understand the impact of the pandemic and take concrete steps to make human life better”.

Prof. Zaidi further explained that students of the Economics Department would research the impact of COVID19 on Pakistan’s economy, and literature students would analyse literature produced during the pandemic, while GCU’s psychologists would look at the impact of COVID-19 on the mental and physical health of people.

“History students will write on pandemic from the historical point of view. GCU’s environmentalists will highlight the role of environmental studies for reducing the impact of pandemic, and geographers will study the spatio-temporal patterns of Covid-19,” the Vice-chancellor concluded.

June 22, 2021June 23, 2021

Government College University Lahore gets Rs. 1.84 billion development projects

Lahore, June 22, 2021 (PPI-OT): The federal and provincial governments have initiated four development projects worth Rs 1,840.75 million for the uplift of Government College University Lahore. Out of this highest ever development funds allocation for GCU, a budget of Rs. 410 million is allocated for the fiscal year 2021-22 only.

The Federal Ministry of Planning and Development approved Rs. 1158 million for Phase-II of the GCU’s New Campus. The other three projects are reflected in Punjab’s Annual Development Program (ADP) 2021-22. The total costs of Girls’ Hostel, Swimming Pool and Sufism Center are Rs. 440 million, Rs. 143.278 million and Rs. 100 million, respectively.

The most prominent of the projects is the establishment of Sheikh Abul Hasan Ash-Shadhili Sufism, Science and Technology Research Centre. The construction of girls’ hostel at the main campus will also meet a long time demand from GCU’s girls, and the provision of swimming pool will offer great opportunities for GCU to host international standards of swimming competitions.

The Phase-II of the New Campus at Kala Shah Kaku will substantiate the academic and extracurricular activities. The Phase-2 includes construction of academic block for 1200 students, hostel, residence for staff and external development works. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi said GCU is the most prestigious and oldest seat of higher learning in Pakistan but it has been long ignored by the consecutive governments in terms of student facilities and expansion. He said that a campus built for a few thousand students only has now more than 14,000 students studying in more than 30 disciplines.

He said girls students from all over Pakistan comes to GCU for higher studies but unfortunately it has only one girls’ hostel with a capacity of fewer than 200 students, due to which our hundreds of students had to live in female private hostels away from the campus. The Vice-Chancellor said that new four-storey girls’ hostel would be constructed at the University’s Science Block with a capacity for more than three hundred students.

“It would be a surprise for everyone that GCU is a winner of inter-collegiate and inter-university swimming championships, but our students have no facility of swimming pool,” Prof. Zaidi said, adding “we have to request other universities to provide their pool for the training of our teams, which we get for a very short time on their terms and conditions.”

Talking about the Sufism Centre, Prof. Zaidi said the centre is the initiative of the First Lady of Pakistan, Mrs Bushra Imran, and it would conduct research in the fields of Islamic philosophy, Sufism, spirituality, comparative study of religion and mystic traditions besides providing a platform for inter-faith dialogues at national and international level.