1,072 graduates awarded degrees, medals at 4th UVAS Convocation on December 17, 2012
Governor Latif Khosa presides over convocation, urges universities to develop collaboration for promotion of research and education
LAHORE: (December 17, 2012): A total of 1,072 PhD, MPhil scholars and undergraduate students received degrees and medals at the 4th Convocation of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) held at its city campus on Monday.
Chancellor /Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa and Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha awarded the degrees and medals to the graduates. Secretary L&DD Department Punjab Irfan Elahi was also present.
Addressing the convocation, Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa urged the universities of the Punjab province to share their facilities and expertise in enhancing the innovative research and education at par with international standards. He appreciated the UVAS’s role in the field of education and research for not only producing qualified graduates to boost the Livestock and allied industry but also to expand the horizon of its educational system by making linkages with other national and international universities, private sector and industries. “I have been very impressed by the remarkable progress made by University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in recent years for the promotion of education and research,” he said. Addressing the graduates, the governor said that this occasion indicates that you have imbibed the knowledge and skills needed to deal with the world outside and also to improve your capabilities. “You have responsibilities to use your talents for the benefit of the society which helped to educate you and develop these talents,” he said.
“Your obligation is to pursue learning and serve the nation. No nation can grow without education to deal with the gigantic challenges of this modern era,” Latif Khosa added. He said education means change and urged the youth to change yourself according to the modern-day needs and play a vital role in nation building and development.
Later talking to media, the governor said that education is a provincial subject after the 18th Amendment and urged the provinces to allocation more fund for education. He said elections will be held on time in a transparent manner. He said that when the PPP government took over inflation was 25 per cent which now has come down to single digit.
Earlier presenting the welcome address, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said that the UVAS takes pride in playing a pivotal role in fulfilling the needs of fast growing livestock sector in terms of human resource, research, services and technology development. The contribution of livestock sector in Agriculture GDP has increased from 39% to over 55%, in the last one decade. He said the UVAS has done quite an outstanding job with its mix of teaching, innovation, research and shared its knowledge, resources and skills with the allied industry, professionals, farming communities and society.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the UVAS recently established the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) and a Business Incubation Center to serve the needs of new businesses and novice companies. During this short period of less than one year, the Business Incubation Center won professional consultancies both from private and public sectors worth over Rs 200 million and providing services to many entrepreneurs. He said a tremendous achievement of UVAS in problem solving research is reflected by the HEC ranking of UVAS, which is at number 12 out of 82 National Universities and on number three in Agricultural Universities.
The Vice Chancellor said that value of ongoing competitive research projects of the university is over Rs 350 million. During this year income of Rs 25 million was generated through the supply of university’s research based products combined oil-based vaccine of Foot & Mouth and Haemorrhagic Septicemia, mineral pre-mix and services offered by WTO Quality Operation Lab as well as University Diagnostic Lab,” he added.
Prof Pasha said the university had enhanced the number of need-based scholarship from 94 in year 2011 to 308 in 2012. The value of these scholarships increased from Rs 2.2 million to Rs 14.5 million with the support of allied industry, alumni, Akauwat Foundation and HEC.
He said the performance of Quality Enhancement Cell had been outstanding which is evidenced by the increased quality points from 68 to 82 as assessed by the HEC.
He said the university is continuously striving for providing excellent clinical services and consultation to the small and large poultry and livestock farmers. The mobile ambulatory and outreach clinics of the UVAS are providing services to the animal owners at their doorstep. “The UVAS has also lunched 24/7 extension services to provide emergency and routine veterinary patient care for all species of small and large animals on the doorsteps of farmers,” he added.
The VC said the UVAS believes in intellectual growth of students by perusing not only single field of studies but engage them in variety of activities outside of the classroom setting. We instill in them the sense that provides a rich blend of academic, co-curricular and sports activities.
