KARACHI: Ziauddin University awarded 307 degrees to the graduating students for various disciplines at 13th convocation of university held at the Expo Centre in the provincial metropolis on Wednesday. The university was also awarded Sir Ziauddin Ahmed Academic Excellence gold medals to the eight top position holders. The gold medalists are Suleman for dental surgery, Ayesha Akhtar for bio-medical, Rida Moin for medical technology, Hafsa Munir for speech language therapy, Noureen Shoukat for generic, Zulekha Saleem for physical therapy, Mahnoor Imran for MBBS and Meena Mairaj for D pharmacy. While addressing the convocation, the Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani advised the students to serve the people of rural areas of Pakistan at least two years after completing the graduation. He congratulated the graduating students and acknowledged their achievements by stating that they should be proud of their association with the tradition of one of the greatest minds of 20th century like Dr Sir Ziauddin Ahmed and should do their best to promote the values he stood for in his lifetime. He advised all the young graduates about the importance of morality in profession and said that it is crucial to remember that as a professional, one must demonstrate knowledge and skills of their profession; pride in a profession; accountability for their work; commitment to self-improvement of skills and knowledge; conscience and trustworthiness being committed to their work and one must be a good team player. Raza Rabbani said, “I am happy to note that Ziauddin University is giving quality education and moving from strength to strength and now entering into the third decade of its existence”. Addressing to students, Baqai University former vice chancellor Prof Lt Gen (r) Dr Syed Azhar Ahmed said, “Today marks an important day in your lives and a significant milestone in your life’s journey. The Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui In his welcome address congratulated students and their parents and wished them a prosperous future. He said that the Ziauddin University is prominently placed among renowned institutions of higher education in the private sector in Pakistan and prepares its students on most modern scientific lines with the development of professional skills so that they could be valuable and beneficial for the community.