RAWALPINDI, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said on Thursday that more academic disciplines would be introduced at the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) to extend more opportunities to students in diverse fields.

Mr Taseer was talking at the university’s ninth convocation held at Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

“Women are a very important segment of the society and their role in country’s progress cannot be overlooked,” he stressed.

The governor asked the graduates to follow the ideas of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to effectively contribute towards nation building.

“Educated women have to play their role in the betterment of the society,” he said.

At the convocation ceremony, Mr Taseer awarded degrees among 1,057 graduates in different disciplines.

They included 756 students who did their master’s in behavioral sciences, business administration, communication sciences, computer sciences, defence and diplomatic studies, economics, education, English, fine arts, Islamic studies, environmental sciences, gender studies and public administration. Another 300 students who completed their undergraduate programmes also received their degrees.

Gold medals were conferred on 26 graduates and silver medals on 27 others for their outstanding results.

The gold medalists were Mubashra Kiran (behavioral sciences), Hareem Butt (MBA), Ayesha Mansha and Salma Malik (communication science), Fouzia Pervaiz (computer sciences), Aasma Basheer (defence and diplomatic studies), Iffat Irshad (economics), Rabail Iftikhar (education), Naila Irfan (English), Rabia Noor (environmental sciences), Sareen Masood (fine arts), Mehreen Qaiser (gender studies), Saima Inayat (Islamic studies), Haseena Khatoon (MPA), Nazish Mehboob (economics), Neelam Jamshed (environment sciences), Quratul Ain, Sidra Shakeel, Noorul Ain Farrukh, Shermeen Bano, Iram Naz, Hadia Rehman, Javeria Khizer, Syeda Maria Zaidi, Tehseen Irum Khan and Sidra Tabassum.

In her welcome address, FJWU Vice-Chancellor Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan said the university was doing its best to provide exposure to its students and faculty by encouraging participation in international and national conferences.

The university has developed international links and collaborative connections with various international academic organisations, improving the image of Pakistani women in the world.

Giving a brief overview of the developments in the university, Dr Khan said the construction of a new campus had been started on the land provided by the Punjab government.

“It will be a ‘little university town’ with all facilities for students and faculty to reside and seriously indulge in the business of teaching and learning,” she said.