The 20th Convocation of Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) Rawalpindi was held at the Jinnah Convention Center, Islamabad to commemorate the outstanding academic accomplishments of the graduates of 2022. Governor Punjab and Chancellor FJWU, Engr. Mohammad Baligh Ur Rehman was the chief guest while Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad was the guest of honor.
The 1255 conferred degrees included 12 Ph.D., 238 MS and M. Phil, 136 Masters and 869 Bachelors while 47 gold and 30 silver medals were also awarded to the students who got distinction in their respective programs.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Punjab congratulated the graduating students and their parents upon the successful completion of their degrees. He also appreciated the graduating students’ years of toil and pursuit of intellectual excellence that had brought them to the gateway of their future dreams. “You represent the future of Pakistan and I can clearly see that your future is very bright. Your success is our success and the success of the university and everyone involved with this institution. Whichever direction life takes you, whether it’s a job career or entrepreneurship, or any other occupation of your choice, your success is the only thing we pray for”, he added. The Governor also advised the students to embrace gratitude as a main character trait of their personality alongside empathy. “Be thankful and considerate towards those helping you in achieving the scores of milestones of your life irrespective of their positions. In this regard, there is no one more deserving than your parents and teachers who have led you towards a progressive lifestyle by making you a promising citizen of the country,” he said. He also emphasized on the importance of research for the graduated students and instructed the Chairman HEC to help the university release of funds for its new ‘Chakri’ Campus as swiftly as possible. Earlier, the Vice Chancellor (VC) FJWU, Dr. Saima Hamid congratulated the graduating students and their parents and wished them a peaceful and prosperous future.
She appreciated the students’ hard work, outstanding achievements and their parents’ commitment to excellence in education and emphasized the hope that the students would make optimal use of the productive, creative and inventive professional skill sets that the university had imparted them with. The VC also highlighted that the university currently offers 75 degree programs, under 27 departments – including 12 Associate Degree, 31 Undergraduate Program, 21 MS/MPhil, and 11 Ph.D. Programs. She also emphasized that FJWU had been active in forging national and international collaborations, and in the last year alone 31 MoUs had been signed with national and international academic institutions, and industrial organizations.
FJWU is one of the 16 partner universities under the HESSA project which is a five-year program for improving Pakistan’s higher education system and boosting the employ-ability of the university graduates. The university is also working with the University of Malmo, Sweden, on joint teaching and research through the recently secured grant.
As founding member of All Pakistan Women Universities Consortium, FJWU now has a network of 13 women universities across Pakistan. Being a member of Talloirs network of Engaged Universities, FJWU has launched 70 multi-disciplinary courses for the students, alumnae and the general public. The University had also actively participated in the development of HEC’s Women Leadership Program, which focuses on the capacity building of emerging women leaders. Five of the senior faculty members had availed international women leadership training, she added.
