The University of Management and Technology (UMT) held its 17th convocation with Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi gracing the occasion as ‘Guest of Honour’ on Monday. More than 700 graduates were awarded degrees, of which 322 were awarded bachelor’s, 130 master’s, 283 MS/MPhil and four research scholars were conferred PhD degrees. Five students were awarded patron’s gold medals, five received rector’s silver medals, six rector’s Academic Excellence Awards gold medal, three certificates of excellence and one rector’s research recognition award at the 17th UMT convocation.
Addressing the gathering, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi congratulated the passing-out graduates and their parents for the hard-earned degrees. He also applauded the efforts of President UMT/ILM Trust Ibrahim Hasan Murad for preparing the students for the challenges of today and tomorrow.
He urged youngsters to work hard with dedication, as they were the future leaders and front-runners of the country. He emphasised on how youngsters needed to understand and recognise their roles for the prosperity and wellbeing of the country. The minster added PTI was investing in human capital, as it was the only key to development and prosperity. “Pakistan is now a pivotal global state which possesses policies and positions that resonate far beyond its frontier, impacting the international community in profound ways”, he added.
Qureshi said Pakistan was leading the Islamic bloc, had access to warm waters, provided land connectivity to landlocked countries and was playing a key role in peace and prosperity of the region. He said Pakistan had successfully fought against the menace of terrorism and succeeded in breaking the back of terrorists through operations Zarb-eAzab and Rad ul Fasad .
He said half of the population of Pakistan was under the age of 25 and hence youth were the torchbearers of a successful and prosperous future of the country. Qureshi said the success of PTI would have not been possible without the overseas Pakistanis and educated youngsters of Pakistan, who played a vital role in changing the political dynamics of the country.
Welcoming the guest of honour, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, UMT/ILM President Ibrahim Hassan Murad said, “Mr Qureshi is a statesman of the highest honour who has played a pivotal role in restoring Pakistan’s prestige in the international arena. He has not only fought the case of 200 million Pakistanis but have also successfully represented the case of two billion Muslims of the world, globally.”
Murad said, “Our future poses monumental challenges and now it was our turn to play a positive role. We are facing proxy wars, shortage of basic necessities, high infant mortality rates, declining ratios of the human development index, no access to sanitation and a GDP of 5.3 percent which is much lower than other developing and underdeveloped countries including Cambodia and Ethiopia. However, we are fortunate to be part of a country which is a land of splendor. Now it is our turn to initiate urgent actions,” he added.
Murad advised students to work hard and follow the lead of great leaders like Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by engaging in productive endeavours, along with securing and playing an integral role in the global political milieu on the basis of our own cultural values and prestige.
He added that age was just a number and should “never be considered a barrier in achieving excellence in life”. He quoted some of the leading young change makers globally, including Mark Zuckerberg and prime minister of New Zealand, urging youngsters to never underestimate their abilities and skill set. “Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also emphasized on the role of youngsters and appointed them to various leadership positions, to inculcate the teachings that age was never an obstacle in achieving excellence in life. UMT is producing job creators rather than job seekers,” Murad added.
UMT Rector Dr Muhammad Aslam said convocation was a very special day for graduates, parents and their teachers and congratulated them for the successful completion of an important era, which would definitely ensure a bright and fulfilling career for them in the coming times.
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