As many as 867 graduates of various disciplines on Thursday awarded degrees by Capital University of Science & Technology (CUST) in a convocation held at the convention centre. According to the details, the awarded degrees included Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the fields of Management Sciences, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Management, Project Management, Computer Science and Bioinformatics. State Bank of Pakistan Governor & former finance minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar graced the occasion as the chief guest while renowned atomic scientist Professor Dr Inamur Rahman was the guest of honour. CUST Chancellor Mian Amer Mahmood presided over the convocation. VUST Vice Chancellor Dr Mansoor Ahmed in his welcome address congratulated the students and their parents for their presence in this memorable and happy occasion and declared the event a significant milestone in the lives of the graduates. He informed that the university has earned a prominent position amongst its competitors by putting high emphasis on research and development activity and its graduate programmes. While addressing the convocation gathering, Dr Shamshad Akhtar said that in the present day scenario, education does not end with acquiring a degree; it is a lifelong affair exploring new horizons and broadening of the vision, marching on a never-ending journey towards new frontiers of knowledge. “The role of higher education becomes more prominent and wide ranging. In the present times, we do not only need just the conventional types of education. We are now faced with challenges of different types and it is the higher education which plays a key role in determining the position of a nation in today’s knowledge driven economy,” she added. Dr Inamur Rahman said education plays a vital role in the economic development of a country. It raises the productivity and efficiency of individuals and thus produces skilled manpower that is capable of leading the economy towards the path of sustainable economic development A total of 32 PhD graduates received their degrees while 54 medals which included 32 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze were awarded to the graduates who stood first, second and third in their respective degree programmes. The Jinnah Gold Medal was also awarded to an overall best graduate of the convocation Faraz Qaiser Malik of BS Mechanical Engineering, on his overall distinguished performance in curricular and extracurricular activities. Published in Daily Times, December 7th 2018.