LAHORE: As many as 992 students were given degrees during the second and the concluding session of the Government College University (GCU)’s 15the convocation on Friday. Provincial ministers for education Syed Raza Ali Gillani and Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan chaired the second and third sessions of the convocation, respectively, in which 608 of BA/BSc (Hons) and 314 students of MA/MSc received degrees, medals and co-curricular/sports rolls of honour. At the convocation, Sidra Amin and Zara Ahmad Khan, the two famous international sportswomen of Pakistan were also awarded postgraduate degrees. Sidra Amin, the star batsman of Pakistan women’s international cricket team, received her masters’ degree in physical education and sports roll of honour in cricket, while Zara Ahmad Khan, the centre-forward of Pakistan’s international Basketball team, was conferred on BSc (Hons) degree in biotechnology and sports rolls of honour in basketball and tennis. Saifur Rehman, Hamza Malik, Hassan Yaqoob and Shoaib Ahmed also were awarded sports rolls of honour in bodybuilding, swimming, hockey and wrestling, respectively. In his address, Punjab Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani said there was an urgent need to revisit the strategy and structure of education in order to address the needs of people. He said that the Punjab government would take all necessary steps to bring at least five educational institutions, including GCU, among the top universities of the world. The minister presented a cheque of Rs 100 million to GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah on behalf of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. These were the funds the chief minister had pledged just a day before for the GCU Endowment Fund Trust. “The chief minister wanted that a single day shall not be wasted, and these funds should be used for welfare of bright students of the GCU,” the minister said. Syed Raza Ali Gillani said that the Punjab government was considering providing Rs 2 billion in annual development budget to GCU for development of the KSK Campus. Addressing the gathering, GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Hassan Amir Shah said that with this donation of Rs 100 million, the GCU Endowment Fund Trust had swelled to Rs 340 million, and these funds would help provide scholarships to the hundreds of deserving students who could not afford their academic expenses. He added, “The GCU has produced hundreds of sportsmen who felt Pakistan proud at the international level, and I am very happy to see that female students of the GCU are also excelling in sports, and this was first time that the GCU has awarded the roll of honour in cricket to a sportswoman.” Speaking on the occasion, Sidra Amin said that this was the proudest moment of his life. She said that she had taken a leave from national camp in Karachi to attend this great moment of life. “Besides education, the GCU has also given me the confidence and courage,” she said. Later, Rana Mashhood Ahmed gave away medals to position holders. This year, girls have once again outshined boys in academics and secured 24 of 37 medals and rolls of honour.