Government College University, Lahore Explained

Government College University
Motto Lang:English
Type:Public
Chancellor:Governor of the Punjab
Vice Chancellor:Ahmad Adnan[1]
Academic Staff:454
Administrative Staff:103
Students:10,662[2]
Undergrad:5,831
Postgrad:1,712
Doctoral:520
Other:Intermediate, Certifications
City:Lahore
State:Punjab
Country:Pakistan
Coor:31.5732°N 74.3079°W
Campus:Urban
Former Names:Government College (GC)
Colours: Royal blue, goldenrod, maroon
Other Name:GCU

The Government College University (colloquially known as GCU; Punjabi, Urdu:) is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. GCU is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in Pakistan. Founded as Government College, Lahore, in 1864 under British administration, it became a university in year 2002.

Overview

In 1864, Government College was established by the British government in India.[3] [4] After being elevated to university status in 2002, it has become one the ten largest educational institutions in Pakistan, with a student body of over 12,000. It has 32 academic departments, segregated into five faculties. There are five research centers, focused on academic and industrial research and development projects. The university secured the second place in the general category by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2013.[5] It has the highest graduation rate in the country, with an average of 94.6% annually.[6] [7] In Government College University, the medium of instruction is English.

Government College University is noted for its historical roots and produced notable scholars such as poet-philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Nobel laureates Har Gobind Khorana and Abdus Salam, former president of both the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, scholar and novelist couple Bano Qudsia and Ashfaq Ahmed. Among its graduates are also four prime ministers and one caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.

History

Originally, the establishment of a central college in Lahore was sanctioned in 1856 by the British Raj, given that the teachers were from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Dublin University HC or Durham University. Under the leadership of Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, a professor of Arabic and Islamic Law at King's College London, the college was established on 1 January 1864, located in the Palace of Raja Dhyan Singh Haveli (Dogra prime minister of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore) inside Walled City of Lahore, as an affiliated college of Calcutta University.

In April 1871, the college moved to a large Bungalow near Anarkali Bazaar. In 1873, its location was again changed to another house called Rahim Khan's Kothi due to rapidly increasing student strength. It moved to its present building in 1876.

The first principal was Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, whose name is closely attached to the college. In 1882, Leitner was very instrumental in laying the foundation of Punjab University, Lahore. Thereafter, the college would remain affiliated with Punjab University for 115 years. In 1997, government of the Punjab gave Government College autonomy in all affairs and granted degree awarding status.

In 2002, it was promoted to university status by the government of Punjab; the word college was retained in its title for preserving its historical roots.[8]

Campus

Old Campus

Positioned in Downtown Lahore, it is located at the junction of The Mall, Lahore and the Lower Mall, surrounded by main business and administrative areas, schools, colleges and Punjab University old Campus. The main building was designed by W. Purdon and completed in 1877 at a cost of Rs. 320,000. In the centre of the main building stands a 176' tall clock tower. Built during the colonial era, the main building reflects the neo-Gothic tradition, with broad verandahs and elevated ceilings. A large ground accompanies the main building, alluded to as the "Oval Ground". In 2019, the ground was renamed "The Leitner Oval", in honour of Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, the first principal of the institute.[9] To meet the needs of an increasing number of students, several buildings and blocks have been commissioned which include a postgraduate block, a new block for intermediate students and a bachelors' block which is accessible by an overhead bridge. The main campus is spread over 56 acres along the Anarkali Bazaar, one of the oldest surviving markets in Lahore.[10]

Kala Shah Kaku Campus

On 24 August 2019, the Kala Shah Kaku campus of the university was inaugurated which is known as GCU KSK campus. The campus is spread over 370 acres, able to house 25,000 students, 1,250 teachers and 650 staff members. 22 hostels are available for accommodation.[11]

On 24 September 2020, the new campus was formally opened to students. A bus shuttle service will operate between both campuses.[12]

Emblem

The torch, as the crest of the university emblem, represents the light of knowledge. The motto "Courage to Know" represents the guiding principle of the student community.[13]

Academics

Programs

The university offers degrees in Higher Secondary School Certificate (locally referred to as Intermediate), undergraduate and post-graduate studies. In the higher education level, it offers 28 bachelor's degrees, 28 MS/MPhil Degrees and 19 PhD degrees. These degrees are offered under the following faculties:

Research

The university has always been a research-led university, however, in recent times, it has shifted its focus towards quality output projects, which the university believes to be beneficial academically and industrially. Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) has been set up to manage all research issues. The objective of the office is to advance, diversify and manage all research programs and to uphold international standards of research.[19]

It receives research grants mostly from foreign universities like Strathclyde University, Cranfield University, World Bank Researchers Alliance for Development and British Council and from national institutes and organizations like Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), PTCL, Higher Education Commission and Ministry of Science and Technology.[20]

Institutes

The university has five autonomous/semi-autonomous, research-oriented institutes, focused on academic and industrial research and development projects. These institutes are:

Abdus Salam School for Mathematical Sciences

See main article: Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences. The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) is one of the largest mathematical research institutes in Pakistan.[22] The school was established in 2003 by Government of Punjab under the aegis of Government College University.[23]

In 2011, it was labeled as the first "Emerging Regional Center of Excellence" by the European Mathematical Society (EMS) for the period 2011 to 2015.[24]

It has taken steps to provide encouragement to Pakistani students in schools and colleges. These include:

Chairs

Abdus Salam Chair in Physics

See main article: Abdus Salam Chair in Physics.

The Abdus Salam Chair in Physics, named after the Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate Abdus Salam is an honorary chair in physics at the university. Starting out as a semi-autonomous institute, it became operational in March 2000 with the efforts of Ishfaq Ahmad, a lifelong friend of Salam. In 2009, the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) donated Salam's original Nobel certificate to the Salam Chair in Physics. The former director of ICTP, Katepalli R. Sreenivasan, visited Lahore where he gifted the original Nobel certificate to the university's alma mater. The certificate reads: "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter-alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".[30]

It has been integrated into Department of Physics, where MPhil and PhD students carry out their research work.[31] Some of its achievements include: getting 52 research publications in international journals;[32] producing 6 PhD and 25 MPhil theses; setting up a Plasma Technology Lab; and contracting research grants from funding agencies and research centers such as the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL),[33] Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF)[34] and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics

The Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics was named after Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry, a renowned Pakistani nuclear physicist and a professor of particle physics at the university. He is widely regarded as having been the pioneer of experimental nuclear physics research in Pakistan.[35] During his tenure as a professor at the university, he set up High Tension Laboratory there in 1952 (now amalgamated into Center for Advanced Studies in Physics CASP) where research anent to gaseous discharges, ion, and electron impact phenomena, nuclear physics, radioactivity, and cosmic rays is carried out.

The university set up the chair in recognition of his services to Pakistan and to Physics. Currently, post-graduate research work in Applied Physics is carried out here.[36]

Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics

The Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics is the latest addition to honorary chairs at the university, named after Mahbub ul Haq, a Pakistani economist, politician and international development theorist who served as the 13th Finance Minister of Pakistan.[37] While serving as the Special Advisor to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he led the establishment of the Human Development Report (HDI) and the widely respected Human Development Index (HDI).[38] The Economist called him "one of the visionaries of international development."[39]

The university established the chair to recognize his services to Pakistan, its people, and above all to the discipline of Economics.[40] Apart from post-graduate research in Economics, the chair is also in charge of publishing GCU Economics Journal an annual scholarly and peer-audited publication. Its intent is to act as a platform for researchers, professionals, and students to share their achievements, perspectives, and practical experiences.[41]

Accommodation

The university has four hostels – three for boys and one for girls. Iqbal Hostel (built in 1891) and Quaid-e-Azam Hostel (built in 1993) accommodate about 150 and 200 Intermediate students, respectively. The New Hostel (built in 1937) houses about 400 Degree students. Girls Hostel (built in 1975) accommodates about 50 girl students. A Faculty Mess has been built for visiting family members, faculty and officers of the other universities. Lodging and messing facilities are available here.[42]

Notable alumni

See main article: List of Ravians. Alumni of the institute are called Ravians, which is a derived word from the name of the student magazine "Ravi", published by the administration of the college; the magazine name itself is inspired by the Ravi River that passes through Lahore.[43]

In popular culture

"The Last Follower and The Resurrection of Voldemort" is Pakistan's first Harry Potter movie, and it was filmed at GCU, which served as Hogwarts in the film. The film is produced by a group of young Ravians which laid the foundation of annual Harry Potter Festival at GCU.[49]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vice Chancellor's Welcome Note. 12 October 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509183626/https://gcu.edu.pk/vc-message/. dead.
  2. Web site: About – GC University, Lahore. Government College University, Lahore. 29 August 2020. 22 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/. dead.
  3. Web site: About – GC University, Lahore. 2019-09-16. gcu.edu.pk. 22 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/. dead.
  4. Bangash . Yaqoob Khan . Virdee . Pippa . October 2022 . Partitioning the University of the Panjab, 1947 . The Indian Economic & Social History Review . en . 59 . 4 . 423–445 . 10.1177/00194646221130414 . 2086/22269 . 253263019 . 0019-4646. free .
  5. Web site: HEC rankings. Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. https://web.archive.org/web/20130525073744/http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/QALI/Others/RankingofUniversities/Pages/CategoryWise.aspx. 25 May 2013. 20 November 2012. dead.
  6. Web site: Graduation at GCU. 24 September 2020. GC University, Lahore. 22 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/#1582535152254-f0a6c38b-13ff. dead.
  7. Web site: GCU among top 10 universities of Pakistan. www.thenews.com.pk. 2019-09-17.
  8. Web site: The Government College University, Lahore Ordinance, 2002. 2020-09-24. punjablaws.gov.pk.
  9. Web site: GCU Oval ground named after Dr. Leitner. www.thenews.com.pk. 2019-09-18.
  10. Web site: Historical Background. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200226044411/http://gcu.edu.pk/History.htm. 2020-02-26. 2019-09-18. gcu.edu.pk.
  11. Web site: 2019-08-26. GCU KSK Campus Opened For Academic Activities. 2020-09-23. The Academia. en-US.
  12. Web site: GCU KSK campus becomes operational. 2020-09-26. www.thenews.com.pk. en.
  13. Web site: GCU Emblem. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200226042215/http://gcu.edu.pk/Logo.htm. 2020-02-26. 2019-09-15. www.gcu.edu.pk.
  14. Web site: Faculty of Chemistry and Life Sciences. GC University, Lahore. 22 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509190521/https://gcu.edu.pk/chemistry-and-life-sciences/. dead.
  15. Web site: Mathematical and Physical Sciences. GC University, Lahore. 22 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509193259/https://gcu.edu.pk/mathematical-and-physical-sciences/. dead.
  16. Web site: Arts & Social Sciences. GC University, Lahore. 22 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509192640/https://gcu.edu.pk/arts-social-sciences/. dead.
  17. Web site: Languages, Islamic & Oriental Learning. GC University, Lahore. 22 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509185423/https://gcu.edu.pk/languages-islamic-oriental-learning/. dead.
  18. Web site: Faculty of Engineering. GC University, Lahore. 22 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509203308/https://gcu.edu.pk/faculty-of-engineering/. dead.
  19. Web site: Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) – GC University, Lahore.. 2020-09-24. en-US. 24 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200924112818/http://gcu.edu.pk/office-of-research-innovation-and-commercialization/. dead.
  20. Web site: GCU Research Publications. 2019-09-18. www.gcu.edu.pk. 5 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200705161209/https://gcu.edu.pk/gcu-research-publications/. dead.
  21. Web site: GCU Academic Departments. 2019-09-15. www.gcu.edu.pk. 31 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200331061550/http://gcu.edu.pk/departments/. dead.
  22. Web site: A Report on ASSMS. Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences, Lahore. 17 August 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150504062917/http://www.sms.edu.pk/downloads/phd/areportonassms.pdf . 4 May 2015.
  23. Web site: ASSMS – GC University, Lahore. Government College University, Lahore. 24 September 2020. 9 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210509184621/https://gcu.edu.pk/abdus-salam-school-of-mathematical-sciences/. dead.
  24. Web site: Emerging Regional Center of Excellence . European Mathematical Society . 18 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906100534/http://euro-math-soc.eu/EMS-CDC/erce.php . 6 September 2015 . dead .
  25. Web site: Foreign Faculty Hiring Program: ASSMS . Higher Education Commission of Pakistan . 18 August 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230457/http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/HRD/FacultyHiringPrograms/FFHP/Pages/ASSMS.aspx . March 4, 2016.
  26. Web site: Josip Pecaric's activities in Pakistan . Croatian World Network . 29 June 2021.
  27. Web site: 4th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics . Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences . 18 August 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081107042044/http://wc2009.sms.edu.pk/ . November 7, 2008 .
  28. Web site: 5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics . Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences . 18 August 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728112434/http://wc2011.sms.edu.pk/doku.php . July 28, 2011 .
  29. Web site: 6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics . Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences . 18 November 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130320003932/http://wc2013.sms.edu.pk/doku.php . March 20, 2013 .
  30. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\22\story_22-11-2009_pg13_6 GCU houses Dr. Abdus Salam’s Nobel prize
  31. Web site: Facilities, Dept. of Physics. www.gcu.edu.pk. 2019-09-19. 4 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191004063522/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Phys.htm#Facilities. dead.
  32. Web site: .:.GC University Lahore . 2017-01-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm . 4 March 2016.
  33. Web site: Research Fellowships Awarded . Government College University, Lahore . 2 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm . 4 March 2016.
  34. Web site: Research Grants Awarded . Government College University, Lahore . 2 October 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm . 4 March 2016.
  35. Web site: Haq. Prof. M. Ikramul. 2004-01-27. Remembering Dr Rafi Chaudhry. 2019-08-21. Dawn newspaper.
  36. Web site: Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200307073045/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/RafiCh_Chair.htm. 2020-03-07. 2019-09-19. www.gcu.edu.pk.
  37. News: Mahbub ul Haq. The Economist. 2020-09-24. 0013-0613.
  38. Web site: 2013-11-04. Human Development The Reports Human Development Reports (HDR) United Nations Development Program (UNDP). 2020-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20131104100358/http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/reports/. 4 November 2013.
  39. News: Mahbub ul Haq. The Economist. 2016-02-23. 0013-0613.
  40. Web site: Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200209151313/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/MehbubH_Chair.htm. 2020-02-09. 2019-09-19. www.gcu.edu.pk.
  41. Web site: Publications: GCU Economic Journal. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200117035010/http://gcu.edu.pk/Eco_Jour.htm. 2020-01-17. 2019-09-19. www.gcu.edu.pk.
  42. Web site: Accommodation at GCU. www.gcu.edu.pk. 2019-09-18. 3 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191003052009/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Accommodation.htm. dead.
  43. News: Old Ravian Union. GCU. Old Ravian Union. 9 September 2013. 30 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130630043442/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/alumni.htm. dead.
  44. Book: Chandra, Bipan. India's Struggle for Independence. Penguin Books India. New Delhi. 1989. 144–145. 978-0-14-010781-4.
  45. Book: Nehru, Jawaharlal . Nand Lal Gupta. Jawaharlal Nehru on Communalism. Hope India Publications. 161. 2006. 978-81-7871-117-1.
  46. Web site: Madan Lal Dhingra . The Open University . 19 March 2016.
  47. Web site: Madan Lal Dhingra: A lion hearted National hero . Hindu Janajagruti Samiti . 19 March 2016 . Godbole, Dr Shreerang.
  48. Book: Bandhu, Vishav. The Life And Times Of Madan Lal Dhingra. Prabhat Prakashan. 9788184302295. 19 January 2021 .
  49. Web site: Reporter . The Newspaper's Staff . 2020-03-08 . GCU students’ Harry Potter film screened . 2023-11-05 . DAWN.COM . en.

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