20th Commencement of Fatima Jinnah Women University
Rawalpindi, January 27th: The 20th Commencement of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi was held at the Jinnah Convention Center, Islamabad to commemorate the outstanding academic accomplishments of the graduates of 2022. Governor Punjab and Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University Engr. Mohammad Baligh Ur Rehman was the chief guest while Chairperson Higher Education Commission, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad was the guest of honor. The 1255 conferred degrees included 12 Ph.D., 238 MS and M. Phil, 136 Masters and 869 Bachelors. 47 Gold and 30 Silver Medals were also awarded to the students awarded distinction in their respective programs. Sponsored gold medals were awarded by ‘First Women Bank Limited’, ‘Media Development Trust Mishaal Pakistan’ and ‘Qudratullah Shahab Organization’.
In her welcome address the Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Dr. Saima Hamid expressed her gratitude to the Honorable Chancellor for presiding at the commencement. She congratulated the graduating students and their parents, and wished them a peaceful and prosperous future. She appreciated the students’ hard work, outstanding achievements and their parents’ commitment to excellence in education and emphasized the hope that the students would make optimal use of the productive, creative and inventive professional skill sets that the university had imparted them with. Studying at Fatima Jinnah Women University has encouraged them to uphold ethical and value based standards and prove themselves as responsible citizens of Pakistan. This she said is clearly reflected in the recently launched anthem, which has been written and sung by the faculty members and students of FJWU.
The Vice Chancellor FJWU highlighted the fact that the university currently offers 75 degree programs, under 27 departments - including 12 Associate Degree, 31 Undergraduate Program, 21 MS/MPhil, and 11 Ph.D. Programs. She also emphasized that FJWU had been active in forging national and international collaborations, and in the last year alone 31 MoUs had been signed with national/international academic institutions, and industry organizations.
FJWU is one of the 16 partner universities under the HESSA project which is a five-year program for improving Pakistan’s higher education system and boosting the employability of university graduates. The university is also working with the University of Malmo, Sweden, on joint teaching and research through the recently secured grant.
As founding member of All Pakistan Women Universities Consortium, FJWU now has a network of 13 women-only universities across Pakistan. Being a member of Talloirs network of Engaged Universities, FJWU has launched 70 multidisciplinary courses for FJWU students, alumnae and the general public. She also highlighted the fact that faculty members have availed opportunities from the Association of Commonwealth Universities which is the world's oldest international network of universities with 500 member institutions in over 50 countries. FJWU has also actively participated in the development of HEC’s Women Leadership Program, which focuses on the capacity building of emerging women leaders. Five of the senior faculty members have availed international women leadership trainings. She further elaborated that last year FJWU launched the national level film competition “NAQSH Digital Film Festival”. This will be a regular annual feature of the university. In collaboration with PTV Films, UNFPA and RIME Digital this year’s festival is in process. This venture will provide the youth with the opportunity to showcase their talents and provide multiple opportunities to excel in the field of film and documentary production.
Dr Saima Hamid also highlighted the structural and procedural reforms within the University and shared that since senior leadership is pivotal to the advancement of any institution, the number of faculty in senior positions has gone up in the last 3 years; in the case of Deans, from 2 to 4, Professors from 3 to 15, and Associate Professors from 8 to 22.
The Chief Guest Governor Punjab and Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University Eng. Mohammad Baligh Ur Rehman, in his speech said that it is a matter of pride and privilege to address the young degree recipients on the momentous occasion of the 20th Commencement of Fatima Jinnah Women University. He congratulated the graduating students and their parents upon the successful completion of their degrees and added that as the Chancellor, it gave him great pleasure to celebrate this proud moment with the graduates and their parents. He also appreciated the graduating students’ years of toil and pursuit of intellectual excellence that had brought them to the gateway of their future dreams. ‘You represent the future of Pakistan and I can clearly see that your future is very bright. Your success is our success and the success of the university and everyone involved with this institution. Whichever direction life takes you, whether it’s a job career or entrepreneurship, or any other occupation of your choice, your success is the only thing we pray for’, he added.
Engr. Baligh ur Rehman also advised the students to embrace gratitude as a main character trait of their personality alongside empathy. ‘Be thankful and considerate towards those helping you in achieving the scores of milestones of your life irrespective of their positions. In this regard, there is no one more deserving than your parents and teachers who have led you towards a progressive lifestyle by making you a promising citizen of the country.’ He said. He also emphasized on the importance of research for the graduated students. He said that everything they say and believe must be well researched and cross checked. Being a graduate student you should have Research driven approach in all domains of life as this will eventually make you a success story but will also guide you to lead the country to even more firm footings, he added.
The Chancellor also instructed Chairman Higher Education Commission Pakistan to help the university release of funds for its new Chakri Campus as swiftly as possible.
List of Gold Medalists for Masters (2020-2022) and Bachelors (2018-2022):
Gold Medals of Bachelors, Masters and M.Phil programs awarded to students of their respective departments are: Qurat-ul-ain Fatima (Master of Behavioral Sciences)- Atiqa Mubarak (Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences)- Javeria Arshad (Bachelor of Business Administration)-Sarwat Yar Hussain (M-Phil in Business Administration- Ayisha Abdul Salam (Master of Communication and Media Studies)- Yumna Amjad (Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies)- Atiya tul Husnain (M-Phil in Communication and Media Studies)- Hania Baqai (Bachelor of Computer Science)- Dua Khan Saddozai (Bachelor of Defence and Diplomatic Studies)- Asmara Mushtaq (Master of Economics)- Rabiya Inaam (Bachelor of Economics)- Shafaq Irfan (M-Phil in Economics)- Javeria Zulfiqar (M-Phil in Economics)- Zainab Zaka (M-Phil in Economics) Momina Musawar (Master of Education)- Hina Rashid (M-Phil in Education) -Rubab Shaukat (Bachelor of Education)- Zonash Arshad (Master of English)- Minahil Nadeem (Bachelor of English)- Ayesha Gul Khattak (M-Phil in English)- Umamah Asad (M-Phil in English) Nigar Fatima Mirza (Bachelor of Environmental Sciences)- Saba Arooj Ali (M-Phil in Environmental Sciences) –Rabail Khan (Bachelor of Fine Arts)- Tasmiya Maryam (Master of Islamic Studies)- Memona Maqsood (Bachelor of Islamic Studies)- Maryam Bushra (M-Phil in Islamic Studies) Adeena Khokhar (Master of Public Administration)- Hibba Saleem (Bachelor of Public Administration) – Rabia Sultana (M-Phil in Public Administration)- Saira Iqbal (M-Phil in Mathematics)- Zainab Ijaz (Bachelor of Mathematics)- Saira Iqbal (M-Phil in Mathematics) -Zainab Ejaz (Bachelor of Physics)- Laraeeb Tauqir (Bachelor of Commerce)- Noor u lain Shehzad (Bachelor of Computer Arts– Maham Hafeez ( Bachelor of Anthropology)- Emaan (Bachelor of Sociology)- Mishal Nauman(M-Phil in Sociology) - Mubashira Ishaque (Bachelor of Urdu)- Sidra Akhtar (M-Phil in Urdu) – Rubab Zahra (M-Phil in Urdu)-Ruqia Ejaz (Bachelor of Biotechnology)-Sameeha Rauf (M-Phil in Biotechnology) Sadia Ahmed (Bachelor of Chemistry)- Afsheen Ikram (Bachelor of Law)
List of Silver Medalists for Masters (2020-2022) and Bachelors (2018-2022):
Silver Medals of Bachelors & Masters programs awarded to students of their respective departments are: Iqra Rafique (Master of Behavioural Sciences)- Javeria Kanwal (Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences)- Sahar Tariq (Bachelor of Business Administration)- Zubia Qurban (Master of Communication and Media Studies)- Aimen Asif (Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies)- Ayesha Khan (Bachelor of Computer Science)- Shehzil Salman Khan (Bachelor of Defence and Diplomatic Studies)- Seher Noor (Master of Economics)- Riffat Manzoor (Bachelor of Economics)- Masooma Noor (Master of Education)- Moiza Nasir (Bachelor of Education)- Irsa Qayyum (Master of English)- Easha Zainab (Bachelor of English)- Minahil Sajid (Bachelor of Environmental Sciences)-Syeda Naaima Ahsan (Bachelor of Fine Arts)-- Minahil Ajmal (Master of Islamic Studies)- Syeda Ujala Zahid (Bachelor of Islamic Studies)- Masooma Noor (Master of Public Administration)- Rubi Bano (Bachelor of Public Administration)- Esha Suleiman (Bachelor of Mathematics)- Sidra Sajjad (Bachelor of Physics)- Alishba Khateeb (Bachelor of Commerce)- Kashmala Qazi (Bachelor of Computer Arts)- Dilawaiz Manzoor (Bachelor of Anthropology)-Bibi Alam (Bachelor of Sociology)- Nimra Rehman (Bachelor of Urdu)- Nayyar Tehreem (Bachelor of Biotechnology)- Sidra Saleem (Bachelor of Chemistry)- Nimra Tariq Awan (Bachelor of Law).
Sponsored Medals:
In the category of sponsored students’ awards, Yumna Amjad and Ayesha Abdus Salam of Media and Communication Studies were awarded Gold Medals by the ‘Media Development Organization Mishaal’ while Aimen Asif and Zobia Qurban were awarded silver medals. Similarly, Minahil Nadeem of English Department was awarded Qudratullah Shahab Gold medal. In addition to this, a cash prize of 10,000 was also given to the gold medalist of BS Economics by First Women Bank Limited.
Total Gold Medals for year 2022= 47
Total Silver Medals for year 2022 = 29