UVAS Convocation 2024 held at the City Campus
The 15th UVAS Convocation 2024 was held at the City Campus of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore. The convocation was presided over by Pro-Chancellor/Minister for Livestock Punjab Syed Ashiq Hussain Shah Kirmani. Provincial Minister for Higher Education Punjab Rana Sikandar Hayat, Parliamentary Secretary for Livestock Sardar Muhammad Asim Sher Mekan and Vice Chancellor UVAS Meritorious Professor Dr. Muhammad Younis along with Syndicate members, professors from various universities, representatives of poultry, dairy, food, meat and pharmaceutical industries and a large number of students were present on the occasion.
In the UVAS Convocation 2024, 1,733 graduate students were awarded degrees, out of which 277 were Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 734 BS Honors, 104 Doctor of Pharmacy, 63 BBA Honors, 73 PhD, and 482 MPhil degrees. 68 students were awarded medals.
Minister Livestock at UVAS Convocation 2024
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Minister for Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani congratulated the students who received degrees and medals, their parents, and teachers and urged them to work hard with full dedication and play their important role in the development of the country. Moreover, he said that successful students are the pride of their parents and the institution. These young people are a valuable asset to the country. He also congratulated all the foreign students of the Veterinary University who chose the Veterinary University for their higher education.
He said that according to the instructions of the Chief Minister of Punjab, we have recently provided internship opportunities to about one thousand students of agriculture, under which the students were given practical training related to the agriculture sector. Sixty thousand more students were also given scholarships. Now we will try to launch an internship program for similar internships for livestock-related veterinary students in the near future.
Provincial Minister Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that the role of the Veterinary University in the development of the livestock sector has always been exemplary. We have developed vaccines to prevent lumpy skin with the support of the Punjab government, and we also have to focus on dairy development, breed improvement and modern research.
ویٹرنری یونیورسٹی کے چودہویں کانووکیشن کا انعقاد
The Provincial Minister for Livestock further said that in the near future, the Punjab government, with the support of the Livestock Department and the Veterinary University, is going to establish the first foot-and-mouth disease free zone in Punjab to make the livestock sector more active.
Minister for Education at UVAS Convocation 2024
Provincial Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said that Pakistan is the fourth largest milk-producing country in the world and we need to review our policies and focus on developing our own vaccines instead of importing vaccines to prevent diseases found in the livestock sector.
He said that the Punjab government has given special scholarships to 800 out of 2,000 students through the Chief Minister of Punjab’s Honhar Scholarship Program.
Achievements of UVAS briefed by Vice Chancellor
In his address, the Vice Chancellor Veterinary University, Professor Dr. Muhammad Younis, briefed the audience about the university’s academic, research, clinical services, community services, various extension programs, and the current positions of the Veterinary University in universities across Pakistan, its achievements, and the 142-year historical importance of the Veterinary University.
Dr. Younis said that the Veterinary University has always played an exemplary role in highlighting the skills of the young generation in veterinary education by utilizing its high academic standards, research, and resources. He said that the Veterinary University is among the 801-1000 best universities, while it is ranked ninth among universities across Pakistan and third in the province of Punjab.
Professor Younis further said that according to the QS World University Rankings, the Veterinary University is among the 51-70 best universities in the veterinary subject, while the university also holds a prominent position among the ten best universities in Pakistan in the Higher Education Commission’s sports rankings. He said that currently 77 different types of professional degree programs, including 17 undergraduate, 34 MPhil and 26 PhD programs, are being offered at the university, in which more than 9,000 students from different countries of the world, including Pakistan, are studying. The university has awarded scholarships worth Rs 100 million to 1,154 meritorious students this year, he added.
Research and Projects of UVAS
He added that the faculty members of the university are working on 55 research projects worth over Rs 574 million. The faculty members of the university have written over 600 research papers in the last year.
He said that the development of foot and mouth disease vaccine, alternatives to antibiotics for poultry, in vitro fertilization of livestock, sustainable production of fish meat and its products, and solving food security by controlling tick-borne diseases are some of the important research projects of the university.
Professor Younis said that the university is working on five development projects worth Rs 3.45 billion and these projects will play a significant role in the development of livestock farmers and related industries. Keeping in mind the demands of the modern era and the needs of the time, the Veterinary University has digitized its clinics, laboratories, and internship management system so that facilities can be provided to the students and the community in a better way.
The Vice Chancellor emphasized to the students that the university has equipped them with modern knowledge and skills and I hope that you will play an exemplary role in the development of the country and the nation in their practical life and will also become a beacon for others. He also encouraged the students to start their own businesses and said that instead of looking for jobs, they should become new renters.
