PU holds “Clinical Psychology outside the Clinic”

Lahore: Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has said that the purpose of provincial Higher Education Commission is to fund institutions of higher learning and transform them into centers of excellence. He was addressing in the inaugural session of two-day international conference on “Clinical Psychology outside the Clinic” at Undergraduate Study Centre’s Al-Raazi Hall organized by PU Center for Clinical Psychology (CCP) in collaboration with Pakistan Association of Clinical Psychologists (PACP) here on Wednesday.

PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, VC Swat University Prof Dr Jahanzeb Khan, VC Malakand University Prof Dr Johar Ali, Special Advisor on Mental Health Prof Dr Mowadat Hussain Rana, Director CCP Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar, President PACP Dr Nashi Khan, faculty members, students and a large number of research scholars were also present on conference.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Mashhood said that for the first time in the province, there was going to be a roadmap for higher education in which all the relevant stakeholders have been involved. He said that the government would allow all public sector universities to use their excess land for commercial activities and the universities would take NOC from the relevant government departments.

On the demand of Prof Dr Rukhsana Kausar for establishment of Psychology First Ad or Psychological Emergency Services, like Rescue 1122, the minister assured that the Punjab government would extend all-out cooperation in this regard. He said that the government would provide missing facilities to all the government schools in the next two years. He said that the government had recruited one hundred eleven thousand teachers to increase education standard and provide job opportunities to the people. He said that the government was bearing the expenditures of seventy thousand students through PEEF.

Addressing the ceremony, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that the developed nations were spending 2 to 3 percent of their GDP only on research and development and it was a huge amount as the volume of their GDPs was also heavy. He said that it was a must for any nation to focus on creation of new knowledge to become powerful and prosper. Lauding the dedication of Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan towards education, the VC said that the minister was taking right steps for promotion of higher education in the province and whenever the administration was facing any problem, the minister instantly directed the police and other departments to resolve the matter on priority.

Dr Rukhsana Kausar said that psychological problems were on the rise in Pakistan because of increased urbanization, rapidly changing national and international political scenario, economic pressure, weakening of family ties, deterioration of value system, terrorism, sectarianism etc. She said that there was a need to indigenize psychology and clinical psychology as per the need of our society. She said that due to increased number of traumas been experienced by Pakistani people, there was dire need to establish Psychological First Ad or Psychological Emergency Services, which would respond to emergency situations and a proposal had been submitted in this regard.

Briefing on the journey of Pakistan Association of Clinical Psychologists, President Dr Nashi Khan said that the association was playing its role to reduce psychological problems of people and was working for the welfare of clinical psychologists.