Hamdard University Awards Degrees to Over 1,900 Graduates
KARACHI: In a celebration of academic excellence and achievement, the 28th convocation of Hamdard University was held on Saturday, where more than 1,900 students were awarded PhD, MPhil, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees across multiple disciplines.
Serving as chief guest, renowned scientist and former federal minister Atta-ur-Rehman urged graduates to commit themselves to excellence, innovation and research. He stressed that knowledge and intellectual capital — rather than natural resources — now drive economic growth and national progress.
“Truth is often stranger than fiction, as intellectual capital — not mineral wealth — has become the primary engine of development,” he said, warning that nations failing to invest in emerging sciences risk falling behind. He highlighted rapid advances in genomics, materials engineering, medicine and stem cell technology, noting that new anti-ageing products could make a human lifespan of 100–120 years biologically possible.
Discussing neurology breakthroughs, he said scientific research shows that thoughts are linked to physical molecular processes. He also referred to brain-chip interface work by Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, adding that such technologies have received approval for limited use from the US Food and Drug Administration. Reflecting on the origins of life, he said the elements forming human beings were created in ancient supernova explosions — “we are, in a literal sense, made of stardust.”
According to the university, 11 scholars received PhD degrees and 110 were awarded MPhil degrees, bringing the total number of graduates to 1,912. A total of 35 students secured gold medals for outstanding performance across seven faculties. Five students won the Hakim Mohammed Said Gold Awards, while three received medals from the Institution of Engineers, Pakistan.
Among faculty honours, Prof Dr Syed Mubeen was named Researcher of the Year, Dr M. Faris received the Best Teacher Award, and Prof Dr Kamran Zaheer was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Imran Amin said the university’s alumni network has now grown to 37,500. He noted that scholarships worth Rs219 million were disbursed over the past year and announced upcoming visits by foreign academic delegations, along with the launch of five new student leadership clubs.
Chancellor Sadia Rashid advised graduates to serve society with compassion, dignity and responsibility. The proceedings were conducted by Registrar Kaleem A. Ghias.
