Americans are the greatest asset of mankind: Dr Mujahid Kamran

Lahore: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has said the people of US are the greatest asset of mankind but they are under the control of world’s financial elite while the Muslim world has no contribution to creation of new knowledge and these are the two problems the world is facing.

He said the Islamic world was weak because of ignorance and therefore invited aggression from the corporate controlled West.

He was addressing USAID scholarships award ceremony for B.Ed (Hons) Elementary students at Al Raazi Hall here on Thursday.

Chief of Party Pakistan Reading Project John Shumaker, Vice Chancellor Lahore College for Women’s University Prof Dr Sabiha Mansoor, Senior Education Advisor for USAID Muhammad Tariq Khan, Vice Chancellor Islamia University Bahawalpur Prof Dr Muhammad Mukhtar, Dean Faculty of Education Prof Dr Mumtaz Akhter, senior faculty members and a large number of students from various universities were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Mujahid Kamran said that ignorant nations that do not create new knowledge face certain annihilation and power and respect belonged to nations that focus on creation of new knowledge. But, he added, no nation could become knowledgeable without strength of character.

Dr Mujahid Kamran said that an Australian Jewish scientist Gideon Polya has found in his research that there had been 1.3 billion avoidable deaths during the period 1950-2005 of which 600 million were Muslims.

Dr Kamran advised the students to develop reading habits and said a teacher could change student’s life and by becoming good teachers, they could become change agents.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr John Shumaker said they wanted to ensure quality of education at primary level and providing scholarships to those students who wanted to become a teacher by choice. He said that teachers and such students’ training could improve education system.

Mr Tariq Khan said that he was delighted to see such bright students from Punjab who had dedicated themselves to a life learning and service. He said that it was the students’ hard work, devotion to quality, dedication of their teachers and the vision of the Punjab government, which was responsible for this notable achievement.

Dr Mumtaz Akhter said she had high hopes from the scholarship recipients because the role of teachers was very much important in the society. Later, scholarships were distributed among 84 students of various universities.

The scholarship program is part of a larger $165 million USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project, which works closely with 28 Pakistani universities and 116 elementary teachers’ colleges throught Pakistan.