Vice Chancellor’s Welcome Address

Vice Chancellor University of Education  Prof. Dr. Munawar S. Mirza being the host, welcome the guests and said:

Honourable Chancellor and Governor of the Punjab, Lt. Gen (R) Khalid Maqbool; Education Minister Punjab and Pro-Chancellor Mian Imran Masood; Members of the Syndicate; distinguished guests; faculty of the University; my dear graduating students; Ladies and Gentlemen.

Asslamu-alaikum

On behalf of the University of Education it is my privilege to welcome you at the 1st Convocation of this University. I am grateful to you, Mr. Chancellor, for sparing time to preside over the 1st convocation, an historic event in the life of the University. Your presence is a source of great encouragement, especially for the young men and women who will receive their degrees and medals, for their excellent performance.

The University of Education was established in September, 2002. A specialized university in the field of education is a new concept in Pakistan, but it is not so in the world, particularly, in the eastern part of the world. China, Russia, Japan and South Korea have a number of education universities. China has eight top class such universities, Russia has nineteen, Philippines has five; Thailand alone has 40 education universities.

Ladies and gentlemen, the University of Education though nascent comprises of eleven campuses some of which have a long history in Teacher Education. The Lower Mall Campus was established in 1880, the Bank Road Campus was established to train female teachers in 1937, and the first and the only College of Science Education was established in 1979. Thus, the establishment of the UE connects more than a century old traditions with new set of modern trends resulting in an exquisite blend of the past and present but looking into the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, we must acknowledge and applaud the realization and commitment of the present government towards education in general and higher education in particular. Increasing budget allocations over the last six years culminating into 4 % of the GDP for the financial year starting tomorrow is a clear evidence of this commitment. Higher education has been given its due place for the multisectoral growth of the country to give it a respectable place in the nations of the world. This year a budget allocation of Rs. 17.82 billion for Higher Education Commission will help in realizing the goals of higher education.
It is because of this increasingly growing emphasis on higher education that the number of universities and degree granting institutions has risen to 114. The establishment of UE, a unique institution, is not only a step towards higher education, it is also a manifestation of government’s commitment and concern for enhancing the quality of education at all levels through Teacher Education which is the key for quality education. We feel lucky as we enjoy the support of all concerned for the development of this University. The Government of Punjab has allocated 203 acres of land for UE at Okara and the HEC has recently approved a PC-1 of Rs. 433 million for its development. Case for another about 1100 acres on the other side of the LBD is in process and we are very hopeful for a positive decision on the part of Government of the Punjab.

Sir, you have very graciously allocated Rs. 120 million for the up gradation and refurbishment of all existing campuses. It includes the establishment of one model classroom at each of the eight campuses.

Recently, the Government of Punjab has come to support further development and upgradation of the Township Campus with an allocation of Rs. 47 million. I am thankful to Almighty Allah for his blessings for the promotion of the most needed discipline in the education system.

Sir, the UE is fully cognizant of its role and expectations of the society. That is why, it envisions to prepare dynamic leaders and practitioners in teaching, research and management having content excellence, pedagogical competence, commitment and integrity at school, college and university levels. We aim to make it a catalyst of quality assurance in all academic tiers ensuring sustainable development at the national and regional levels.

Our march towards the goal has started well. We have launched several new degree programs. To foster creativity and research, thesis has been made an essential component of all master level programs. Each degree program has at least one full course on computer application in education. English is our medium of instruction. Inspite of several difficulties we are continuously marching towards excellence.

We realize that our mission warrants that our degree programs meet the HEC requirements, are compatible with the international standards and norms, are responsive to indigenous needs and are up to the expectations of all the stakeholders. Recently we organized several broad based consultations with the major stakeholders and educationists to review and evaluate our programs. Some of the stakeholders were the high officers of Education Department of Government of Punjab, provincial level administrators, chairmen and heads of education departments of public and private universities, in-service teacher education institutions and some representatives of private sector institutions.

Mr. Chancellor, such an activity was undertaken for the first time by a Pakistani University. I say it with pride that on the one hand these consultations helped us in paving the way forward and on the other created an environment of trust and mutual commitment.

As a result of these consultations, UE has planned to introduce composite degree programs which will ensure quality, compatibility with HEC and international standards and also provide for higher academic and professional avenues to the graduates. These programs include B.A. B.Ed.; B.Sc. B.Ed.; M.A. B.Ed.; M.Sc. B.Ed. and B.A/B.Sc (Hons) with B.Ed. These programs are also expected to attract better talent toward the teaching profession. We have also revised the curricula of almost all existing programs and have brought

radical changes in the scheme of studies and course outlines.

In addition to classroom oriented programs we are introducing master’s degree in Leadership and Management Studies, specialized M.Phil programs, and regular Ph.D program in education. I highly appreciate the sincere and concerted efforts of the faculty in making these goals achievable.

Quality assurance has been a focused priority for us. In order to achieve the best quality, we have recently revamped our examination system and introduced the system of teacher assessment by students. Opinions of students from all campuses have been collected through more than 50,000 questionnaires and the process will continue. We are trying to enhance the quality of faculty through a variety of faculty development programs. Recently, some of our teachers participated in workshops at NUST, LUMS and other institutions. Faculty development programs in research methods were organized under the sponsorship of HEC. Two of our teachers will be leaving for Plymouth State University, USA in near future to attend Pakistani Summer Teacher Training Institute. As a part of recently approved PC-1, twenty teachers will be sent abroad for PhD.
To facilitate pursuance of PhD we have signed MoU with one university in UK and are working to have more contacts with universities in USA.

We recognize the importance of research as well. Accordingly, we give priority to research and its publication. We are working to launch the ‘Journal of Research and Reflections in Education’, next month. We have also announced an incentive of Rs.10,000 for faculty members for publishing an article in an HEC recognized international journal.
Sir, public-private partnership is key to the development in modern times. Therefore, we have ventured to franchise private schools, which provide practical experience of school environment to the teachers and students and provide leadership to the education system. In the first instance we have signed MoU with eight schools.

The UE invites input from national and international agencies. Presently CIDA is collaborating with us for the improvement of B.Ed practicum and internship program. Faculty development and quality assurance are its allied goals and objectives. We have also signed an MoU with Intel® Education for ‘Intel to Teach’ program under which more than 7000 manuals have been provided to students. Training has been imparted to students of B.Ed. The program in now expanding to various master level programs.

Sir, sustainable development by utilization of resources without sacrificing the rights of future generations is the topmost agenda of Millennium Development Goals and is a dream of every nation. To establish the trend and to make fullest contribution, the UE has recently established a Center for Sustainable Development in Township Campus with its four cells, namely the Culture and Heritage Sustainable Development Cell, Environment Sustainable Development Cell, Biological Sustainable Development Cell and Academic/Training Sustainable Development Cell.

Sir, it is ideal for an academic institution to conduct follow-up studies of its graduates for a variety of purposes. We are collecting and organizing such data.

Because of expansion at higher education level, the University of Education like other new universities, is facing a severe shortage of qualified teachers. The buildings of most of the campuses are old and victim of neglect. Funds of Rs. 120 million provided by your honour will provide some succour but the need is many folds. UE has eleven campus and each campus needs a good library. It can be made possible by establishing maximum digital and electronically advanced libraries to allow sharing of material. For all such purposes we will be submitting PC-1 to the HEC. We will need your support in this matter.

We also need some endowment fund to launch maximum number of scholarships to attract talent to the most critical profession of teaching.
At the end I would like to say a few words to the graduates who are receiving gold medals and those who secured the top positions in each program. Dear graduates, I know you had to wait at least three years for this day as the UE could not hold timely convocations. But from now onwards it will be made a regular feature of the academic calendar of the University.

I congratulate you who are present here today and all other graduates of these sessions. Many of you have already stepped into practical life and remaining will be following the same path. You should remember that you are the core nation builders. Each one of you is a role model for thousands of children and youth. Therefore, high moral character, integrity, and deep loyalty to the country along with hard work should be

the hallmark of each one of you. We all know that you have to work under constrained environment. But consider it a challenge and not a hurdle. With knowledge, commitment, and strong personality traits the desired heights can be reached. My message to you is a couplet of great visionary poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal.