Vice Admiral Mohammad Haroon, Rector Bahria University, members of the Board of Governors, faculty, staff, graduating students and their parents, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is matter of honour for me to preside over the 6th convocation ceremony of the Karachi Campus. This is indeed an important event for all those who have been conferred degrees in today’s convocation. I extend my heartiest felicitations to all recipients of the degrees. My special appreciation and congratulation to those who have won the coveted Gold & Silver medals for their outstanding academic achievements. I would also like to congratulate the parents and relatives of the graduating students for conferment of degrees on their dear ones.

Ladies and gentlemen:

We are passing through a crucial time of history. Our youth i.e. the people under thirty years of age make an overwhelming majority of the present population of the country. Future of our country would largely depend on the way we educate them. We need to invest on them in terms of quality education of international standards and groom them to understand diversity of the global environment. The universities and other institutes of higher education have great responsibility to provide wholesome education to students with clear sense of direction and well defined goals. With the premise that our national interests, cultural and religious ethos, are always safeguarded, they should also be taught to respect global values and traditions and religion of other nations.

This is imperative in the context of international job markets and participation in the knowledge economy that is developing in the globalized world. The universities must also frequently interact with local industries and other corporate and public sector organizations to improve their curriculum in order to make it more responsive to the employers needs. Most of the students invariably require additional training and grooming for better participation and output in their respective work places. This is where additional efforts by universities should be made to prepare their students for varied type of jobs.

I am pleased to learn that Bahria University has incorporated in its system extra educational measures to promote multi-faceted education. Guest lectures by eminent scholars on current issues, visit of students to foreign universities, conduct of seminars and workshops, students individual and collective presentations are good efforts to provide exposure to students beyond their normal text book education.

The accelerated pace of development which the university management has embarked upon would Insha-Allah soon make Bahria University one of the best university of the country. I congratulate the Rector and his entire team on the vision set for the growth for the university and vigour with which it is being implemented. Addition of faculty of Medical and Dental Sciences and establishment of Bahria University Medical and Dental College is highly appreciated. It has certainly added a new dimension to Bahria University and medical fraternity at Karachi.

I wish all of you the best of luck in your endeavors and assure you of my continued support whenever and wherever required.

Finally, I once again congratulate and wish every success to the students who graduated today and thank Bahria University Management for inviting me to this auspicious occasion.

May Allah be with you.
Pakistan Paindabad