GCU pays tribute to its founder principal Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner

Lahore: The Government College University, Lahore Friday held a ceremony to pay tribute to its founder principal and Hungarian national Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner in collaboration with the Embassy of Hungry.

A plaque of Prof G.W. Leitner as the founder principal of 151-year-old Government College, Lahore was also erected at the historical Bukhari Auditorium which was inaugurated by Punjab Minister for Law Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rahman, Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan Istvan Szabo and Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman. A large number of Old Ravians students were also present at the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Istvan Szabo announced scholarships for 80 Pakistani students including of GCU on the behalf of the Hungry government, adding that an agreement would be soon signed in this regard. He also said cultural exchange was the best way of bringing two nations closer. “Culture knows no boundaries. It doesn’t require any visa. It directly reaches the heart of the people,” he added.

He said that it was matter great pride for them that Hungarian national, Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, laid the foundation of modern education system in this part of the subcontinent.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof Rahman said Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (1840–1899), the first principal of Government College Lahore, was one of the greatest linguists and educationalist to work for Lahore and the Punjab, and definitely an outstanding researcher of the Orient. “Our government colleges and our central model schools all flowed from the foundations Dr Leitner laid” he added. The Vice Chancellor said that the main building of GCU Kala Shah Kaku would also be named after the first principal of Government College, Lahore.

Punjab Minister Main Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that Pakistan wished to establish strong cultural, diplomatic and economic relations with Hungry.  He was a great advocate of the culture, languages, religions and arts of the Subcontinent. The world today needs to learn from his example and lay stress on the values of compassion, harmony, tolerance and peace.

It is pertinent to mention here that Old Ravians had last year demanded that the Kachari Road, Lahore must be renamed as Leitner Road to honour the man who founded the Government College, Lahore, the Punjab University, Lahore, and the Oriental College, Lahore (all of them located on Kachari Road).

Later, a group of Hungarian artists performed at the ceremony.

The Princess of Violin from Hungry presented performance on violin, audience highly appreciated their performance. The students of musical society GCU also presented musical concert.