ISLAMABAD, Aug 30 (INP): The 2nd National Graduate Conference that was participated by the students and researchers from twenty-eight educational institutions of the country underlined the need of paying greater attention to community-based academic research.

It deliberated upon the topic of ‘Need of multi-disciplinary research in 21st century. During the two-day’s deliberations, 350 papers were presented by the graduate students. The students who presented best papers and got excellence in posters' completions were given shields by Federal Education and Professional Training Minister Shafqat Mahmood at the concluding session.

The conference was organized by the varsity’s Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC).

The Minster assured that his Ministry will provide all possible support to AIOU to promote quality education and bringing drop-out children in the educational net.

While highlighting the challenges faced by the newly elected government, the Minister commended the AIOU for taking care of marginalized sections of the society and promoting meaningful research under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui.

He said it was a pleasant surprise for him to know that the AIOU was providing free educational facilities to deprived sections of the society in a big way and those also included prisoners and transgender group.

Shafqat Mahmood noted that the AIOU has emerged as viable and excellent educational institution, reaching out to a huge number of people, through distance learning system.

It was heartening to note that the University in the recent years has concentrated on research that has made its role more significant in current scenario. He assured full support of his Ministry to the AIOU in its educational pursuits.

About educational challenges ahead, the Minister said they had to serve the less-privileged sections of the people, bringing education to their door-steps, including through non-formal education. It is painful that around 25 million children are out of school, and they are deprived of their basic right of education. Shafqat Mahmood said they would have to raise standard of education in the government schools and deal with the issue of 22.5 million children out of school. Present 58 percent rate of education is alarming and the present government will try to make a considerable progress to this effect, he added. He said the children studying in Urdu medium schools should also get the quality education and should be afforded opportunities to excel in different fields of life, he added.

The Minister said, they take provision of quality education as the third biggest challenge. He said they wished that the people should go for education, not just for degrees.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor highlighted the University’s initiatives and achievements in the educational sector, particularly serving the cause of marginalized sections of the society, and promoting research culture in the country.

Elaborating the targets achieved in the recent years, the VC said they tried to serve the marginalized sections of the society, providing free education to disabled students, prisoners, drop-out girls and transgender group. Matric education was made free for the students of Baluchistan and FATA.

The concluded session was attended among others by the University’s Deans Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Dr. Samina Awan, Dr. Shah Mohyuddin Hashmi and chairman ORIC Dr. Naghama Rashid. Dr. Afshan Huma and Ms. Nasim Khan Mahsud were the convener and secretary of the conference respectively.

INP/LK/AJ