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The Presidential
Address at the First Degree Awarding Ceremony
by
Prof. M. Tayyeb
Gulzar Khan
Al Hamdo Lillahi
Rabil Alameen, Wassalato Wassalamu ala rasooli hil Kareem.
Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim
Honorable
Chief Guest, Chairman Senate, Mr. Mohammadmian Soomro, Mr. Hassan
M. Khan, Pro–Chancellor, Ripha International University,
Islamabad. Scientist Emeritus Dr. Inam ur Rahman, Chairman
Management Board WISH, Dr. M. N. Qazi, Director WISH,
distinguished guests, the faculty and students, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu.
1. It
is indeed a matter of great
honor
and pleasure
for me
to extend
to you a very warm welcome on behalf of WISH Board of
Trustees,
Management Board, faculty and students and on my own behalf to
this the First Degree
Awarding
Ceremony of WISH. WISH is a model institution for higher learning and it is affiliated with the
federally chartered Riphah
International University,
Islamabad.
2. Honorable
Chief Guest. Sir, you have
been very kind in accepting our invitation to grace this occasion
by your august presence. Among the politicians of today you hold a
place of prominence that you have earned through a dedicated,
consistent and
selfless service to the nation. Your humility, so rare among our
politicians, your constancy and commitment to the ideology of
Pakistan
is simply remarkable, and highly appreciated by the people of
Pakistan. You are very welcome to WISH.
3. WISH
is an institution with a purpose. There has been gender specific
neglect for centuries. We decided to go for a gender specific
intervention. Secondly in education the nation suffers from a
great divide, a schism. The poor and the deprived go to madrasa
to study Islam and live
on the crumbs of the society. The rich and the powerful follow the
Cambridge curricula. They are trained to rule their own people,
and to follow foreign powers, secular and profane. The gap between
the two traditions is ever widening, and has already damaged
national cohesion. At WISH, we seek to combine the two traditions
and aim at their most appropriate amalgam. Hold the old, and shun
not the new, is our guiding principle. This makes WISH unique.
4. In
due course of time, insha Allah WISH will grow into a great
university, teaching most modern disciplines, in an environment,
where students can imbibe values and learn to live Islam.
5. Brothers
and Sisters, WISH is preparing inspiring educators, curricula
planners, honest managers, truthful journalists, serious Islamic
scholars and linguists. WISH is committed to creating a learning
environment that is inspiring, challenging and ethical. We believe
that generations of Muslim ladies will benefit from WISH and a new
era of enlightenment, piety, and culture will emerge from the
corridors of this Alma Mater.
6. Further,
WISH is welfare–driven, not business motivated. We are providing
generous financial assistance to almost 40 percent of our students
on need cum merit basis.
7. WISH
took its first step by inducting a modest number of 42 students in
the fall of 2003. Today, with the Grace of Allah, we have 13
ongoing programs- 7 at Bachelor’s level (BBA, BS, BSCS, B.Com,
BSED, BAGL, BAIS) and 6 at Master’s level (MBA, MAEL, MAIS, MSED,
MAED and M.ED). Out of hundreds of students enrolled so far, 184
are graduating today.
8. Our
faculty is qualified and committed. We have 31 full–time and 24
visiting faculty members. Ten of them earned their PhD’s, mostly
from foreign universities, and three hold M. Phil Degrees.
9. Ladies
and Gentlemen, we have a well–equipped computer network centre,
two computer labs, moderately equipped physics, chemistry and
biology labs and a well stocked library. In addition to the
traditional Library housing around 15000 books, our digital
library provides on line access to over 90,000 books and millions
of articles on subjects ranging from Religion to Science,
Engineering to Humanities.
10.
There is an academic
council to regulate the academic program of studies including
curricula, students progress and teacher performance. There is a
Management Board (MB) consisting of eminent educators responsible
for approving over–all policies and providing guidance and
direction to the institute for its effective performance.
11.
In
addition to MB, there is WISH Council that takes all important
decisions for day–to–day running of the institute. Dr. Muhammad
Ilyas, Dean of Science & Education and Prof. Dr. Khalid Alavi,
Dean of Arts and Humanities, along with all heads of academic
departments are ex-officio members of this body and Dr. M.N. Qazi,
Director WISH is its chairman.
12.
Honorable Chief Guest, we already feel very obliged for your
august presence here this morning. As WISH is facing two serious
issues and we can’t help presenting them before you. I wonder if
Your Excellency, with a Midas touch, can help us out.
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Adjacent to WISH
is a small irregular plot which PEMRA refused to take. It can be
of great use to us if it is given us either free of cost or on
amenity rates. It lies between two all-women institutions and
should not be given to any male dominant public office. We shall
be very thankful to you if you could help us get this plot from
CDA.
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One of our donors
donated us about 40 Kanals of land in Westridge, Rawalpindi and
a local “Qabza Group” has taken its unlawful possession. Please,
Sir, help us restore our possession so that we could built a
school and a hospital there for the people of the area.
We have put in our best efforts to establish WISH on most modern
lines while keeping intact our Islamic identity. Your patronage
can help us surmount difficulties in the way. We look forward to
receiving your continual support.
I
once again thank you all, especially the Chairman Senate Mr.
Mohammadmian Soomro for gracing this occasion despite his pressing
engagements. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge very
gratefully the exceptional patronage, guidance and support
provided by Mr. Hassan M. Khan, Pro- Chancellor RIU and Vice
Chancellor Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmed. Without their unstinted
cooperation we could not have delivered any good.
Thank you. May Allah the lord of the worlds, in His Infinite
Grace, bless you all and your families and friends.
Amen.
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