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Higher Education Must be Responsive to Society's
Needs: Dr Hamida Khuhro
"Recognition is important as it serves as a stimulus
for more hard work." This was stated by Dr Hamida Khuhro, Minister
for Education and Literacy, Government of Sindh, who was the chief
guest at the Graduate Awards Night ceremony organised by Aga Khan
University (AKU) on November 26 in Karachi. A precursor to AKU's
17th Convocation on November 27, the event was held to honour outstanding
newly qualified doctors, nurses and teacher educators as well as
members of faculty.
Dr Khuhro lamented the fact that the young men
and women of today had not been provided ample opportunities to
fulfil their true potential. "The government is fully cognisant
of the situation and during the last three years has taken initiatives
which show its commitment and will to develop the social sector," the Minister assured a gathering of faculty, graduates and distinguished
guests. Amongst those present were Ambassador Saidullah Khan Dehlavi,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, H.I.,
S.I., President, and Dr David Taylor, Acting Provost,
AKU.
Universities, said Dr Khuhro, are "responsible
for moulding and shaping society," adding that improvement in higher
education was a major focus area for her government. Underscoring
the importance of shaping education to keep it dynamic and responsive
to societal needs, she pointed to the increased cooperation in this
area between the public and private sectors in recent years. "We
in the government are making all efforts to collaborate with institutions
like Aga Khan University to create an academic culture that is ready
to take up challenges," said the Minister.
The recommendations of the 1998 World Conference
on Higher Education in Paris, Dr Khuhro explained, "have direct
relevance to Pakistan's higher education system." The declaration
calls for a substantial change and development in higher education
through enhancement of quality and relevance. "Another area which
the declaration highlights is development of entrepreneurial skills
and initiatives, as these will facilitate employability of graduates
who will be increasingly called upon to become job creators and
not just job seekers," she disclosed.
To achieve these objectives, there is a need
to develop new educational programmes, methods and strategies, the
Minister added, placing special emphasis on the education and professional
development of teachers.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr David Taylor,
Acting Provost, congratulated graduates on their remarkable academic
performance. "You would not have been accepted for admission if
the University had not thought you were able and well-motivated
students. But some of you have been able to do outstanding work
and tonight is the moment when this is publicly acknowledged," said
Dr Taylor.
Among AKU's most noteworthy objectives is an
unwavering adherence to a merit-based and needs-blind admissions
policy, as well as its commitment to enhancing the role of women
in the health and education sectors. The University is open to all
academically qualified students irrespective of gender, religion,
race, ethnicity, creed or domicile. At the same time it ensures
that no student who qualifies for admission on the basis of merit
is denied entry for lack of funds.
At the same time, AKU subsidises the cost of
patient care in the University Hospital and also offers a Patient
Welfare Programme that helps those who cannot afford the full cost
of treatment. Since its inception in 1986, this welfare programme
has disbursed as much as Rs. 1.05 billion rupees to over 200,000
needy patients, creating access to high-quality care for those who
may otherwise be deprived of this right.
Later, graduates were conferred awards for their
achievements in different categories that encompassed all major
areas of medicine, nursing and teacher education. Eleven outstanding
faculty members were also honoured on the occasion. These were:
Dr Bernadette Louise Dean, Assistant Professor, Institute for Educational
Development (AKU-IED), Dr Anjum Halai, Assistant Professor, AKU-IED,
Dr Fauzia Shamim, Associate Professor, AKU-IED, Dr Mohammad Perwaiz
Iqbal, S.I.,
Professor, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Dr
Afia Zafar, Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Microbiology,
Dr Gauhar Afshan, Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesia,
Sheikh Abdul Saeed, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological
and Biomedical Sciences, Dr Jacqueline Maria Dias, Assistant Professor,
School of Nursing (AKU-SON), Ms Huma Ghaffar, Instructor, AKU-SON,
Ms Fatima Kubra, Instructor, AKU-SON, and Ms Sabahat K. Tatari,
Senior Instructor, Centre of English Language.
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