LAHORE: (Sunday, May 3, 2026): Punjab University Institute of Quality and Technology Management (IQTM) organized its first degree awarding ceremony in a graceful manner in which degrees, gold medals and certificates of distinction were awarded to graduating students of various academic programs. The ceremony was attended by Chairman Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Vice Chancellor Punjab University Dr. Muhammad Ali, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture Ahmad Umer, Director IQTM Dr. Usman Awan, Director IIEM Dr Muhammad Shafiq, senior faculty members, deans, students and their parents. Addressing the convocation, Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said that it was a matter of immense satisfaction for him to witness the remarkable growth of the institution whose foundation, he said, had initially been laid “from a single room.” He said that the PC-I of the institute was approved in 2005, its building was subsequently established, and in 2020 the institute was elevated to the status of a full-fledged faculty. He said that IQTM was playing a significant role in improving the quality of industrial production, managerial efficiency and technological advancement in Pakistan. He added that the graduates of IQTM were performing exceptionally well in various sectors because the curricula of its degree programs had been designed in accordance with the modern requirements of industry and the service sector. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said universities are not merely degree-awarding institutions; rather, their core responsibility is to create new knowledge, teach its practical application, and inculcate professional skills and ethics among students. He said the Higher Education Commission was bringing thousands of scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students, including 10,000 scholarships for China and 400 scholarships for Hungary. He further said that HEC was actively promoting skill-based short courses to enhance employability among youth. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, who currently heads the Higher Education Commission, has consistently been emphasizing innovation, research commercialization and skills development in higher education institutions across the country. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Dr. Muhammad Ali congratulated the graduating students and their parents and said that the day marked the beginning of a new chapter of responsibility and practical life for the graduates. He said that the University of the Punjab had educated and groomed generations of students and had produced outstanding scholars, scientists and distinguished professionals who served humanity across the globe. He termed Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar the “architect” of IQTM and said the institute had emerged as a unique academic model due to his visionary leadership. He maintained that IQTM graduates were in high demand in the job market because the institute equipped them not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical professional competencies. Dr. Muhammad Ali especially advised female graduates to make effective use of their degrees in professional life, saying that women’s empowerment was directly linked with their economic empowerment. He said students must use their education for social service, national development and personal excellence, adding that the true benchmark of success was knowledge, character and piety rather than wealth and power. Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture Ahmad Umer, while addressing the participants, said that advancement in life required moving beyond conventional thinking within one’s field. He urged students to work on innovative ideas, develop solution-oriented approaches and equip themselves with the ability to solve emerging problems instead of merely complaining about them. He said the credit for students’ success primarily went to their parents who supported and encouraged them at every stage of life. Earlier, Director IQTM Dr. Usman Awan said that Punjab University was the first institution in Pakistan to launch academic programs in Quality and Technology Management. He said IQTM was playing a vibrant role in strengthening industry-academia linkages and producing graduates capable of serving all major industries of Pakistan. He added that Vice Chancellor Dr. Muhammad Ali’s new research policy had enabled faculty members to commercialize their research and contribute more effectively toward national development. He also said that Ahmad Umer had served Punjab University as a teacher for ten years and that the university community was proud to see him serving at an important national position today. At the conclusion of the ceremony, degrees, gold medals and certificates were distributed among successful students amid warm applause from the audience, while parents expressed joy and pride over the academic achievements of their children.