Celebrating achievements and personal growth

University College Lahore’s Annual Graduation Ceremony was held on the 27 April at the Expo Centre in Lahore. Students and parents braved the dry summer heat to celebrate their achievements and those of their peers. In an atmosphere of joy and accomplishment, friends reconnected after months, sharing news of professional, personal and academic growth. 

As tradition dictates, the event started with a walk-in by the Academic Faculty, who, while spanning the LLB, BSc and CertHE programmes, were unified in their equal sense of celebration and pride. In their eyes they saw the teenagers and young adults who had first walked into their classrooms transformed into competent, educated and driven professionals, equal to any graduate in the country, and indeed the world.

Dr Sayyed Asad Hussain, Director, University College Lahore, took to the podium and warmly welcomed both students and parents. In his speech he outlined how the institution had grown, how it was changing to address the concerns of the present and tomorrow, and how the graduates were ideally placed to grasp the challenges presented by an ever-globalizing world.  

Dr Nadeem Ul Haque, Vice-Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Mr Saad Wasim, Regional Advisor, South Asia, for the University of London, also graciously consented to be part of this event.

All three presented degrees and awards and joined in congratulating each graduate. For Dr Hussain and Mr Wasim these were familiar faces, and the pride they felt in greeting each one was genuine and palpable. Dr Ul Haque, a lifetime educator and a veteran of the International Monetary Fund, outlined how modern learning methods had made knowledge and skills more accessible than ever. Mr Wasim shared words of inspiration with the graduates as well, inculcating in them the belief that they are, and always will be, part of the University of London family. 

Over dinner, faculty members and graduates reconnected and shared stories from the past three years, of moments of doubt and trepidation, and of joy and accomplishment. 

The achievements of students included four First Class Honours across a number of disciplines, ranging from Laws and BSc Business Administration to BSc Management with Law and BSc Economics. University College Lahore students also bagged a total of 38 Second Class Honours degrees overall and three Second Class Honours in CertHE.

The event culminated in group photographs with the Chief Guest and Faculty. As the students threw their graduation caps into the air, a crescendo of cheers filled and reverberated inside the auditorium. Over dinner, faculty members and graduates reconnected and shared stories from the past three years, of moments of doubt and trepidation, and of joy and accomplishment. 

University College Lahore will forever remember this batch and looks forward to them rising through the ranks in their respective disciplines – and looks forward to its next Graduation. 

• Syed Qasim Ahsan is a lecturer and academic advisor at University College Lahore.