A delegation of 55 Baloch students and their teachers from Cadet College Killa Saifullah (CCKS), Balochistan visited the Government College University (GCU), Lahore for a study tour on Wednesday. The delegation visited various academic departments of GCU and also met Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi.
The VC told the delegation that GCU offered doubled number of special seats to Baloch students on quota basis, besides giving scholarships and other facilities. He added that they all were all Pakistanis and they had to collectively work for its development.
Professor Zaidi told the students that GCU had produced countless legendary personalities, including Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Nobel Prize winner Dr Abdus Salam, adding that most of the scientists who carried out nuclear tests and designed missile system also belonged to this institution. The students also visited library, Sports Complex and Naqoosh Museum.
The GCU is one of the oldest seats of learning in the Muslim world. As a seat of higher learning GC University blends grand old traditions and modern educational standards to meet the ideals set by persons like Dr. Leitner, philosopher the poet, Dr Muhammad Iqbal and the Noble Laureate Dr Abdus Salam.
With an eventful, glorious history of 154 years, the Government College University (GCU) has a distinct place in Pakistan’s higher education sector. The institute was founded in 1864 as Government College Lahore – an affiliate college of Calcutta University – and was placed under the leadership of Dr GW Leitner, a professor at King’s College London.
In 1882, it became affiliated with the University of the Punjab, and has since produced tens of thousands of scholars who have gone on to serve the country in fields too diverse to put into writing. Given its exemplary record and unique place in the annals of Pakistani history, GC was given the status of a university in 2002 and renamed GC University Lahore. The university is now a fully independent degree-awarding institution of higher learning and operates a campus in Faisalabad as well.