GCU Endowment Fund Trust has signed a MoU Help the Helpless” with an American-based educational foundation
GCU, PEP join hands to help the helpless
Lahore, The Government College University Lahore Endowment Fund Trust has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “Help the Helpless” with an American-based educational foundation, Promotion of Education in Pakistan (PEP), USA to give scholarships to the poor and deserving students of GCU who cannot afford their academic expenses.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ikramul Haq (S.I) and PEP President Prof. Dr. Khalid Iqbal signed the agreement after which the American-based educational foundation gave away an initial donation of Rs 2 million to the GCU Endowment Fund Trust for initiating scholarships for the deserving students.
The GCU and PEP also agreed the establishment of a collective fund “Student Scholarship and Immediate Needs (SAIN)” at the GCU Lahore by way pooling resources.
PEP President Prof. Dr. Khalid Iqbal said that in the past a nation could survive with an unskilled labor force. However, the survival the fittest in the twenty-first century will require a nation’s masses to be educated in logical thinking, reasoning and modern skills. “Unfortunately, education sector in Pakistan is amongst the weakest in the modern nations,” he said.
Quality education is limited to only a few institutions. Most of these institutions are private, profit-making and are beyond the reach of all except a very small upper class. Thus, there is both a strong and an urgent need in Pakistan for institutions where quality education can be made available to young men and women, especially from economically disadvantaged families.
The PEP President showed his commitment to take all the possible steps to help the deserving students of GCU. He proposed to hold a fundraising week for deserving students. Speaking on the occasion, GCU Endowment Fund Trust Honorary Secretary Dr. Khalid Manzoor Butt said that this year more than around 2,500 GCU students apply for financial aid but due to limited financial resources it becomes difficult for the university to accommodate all the students. He said Endowment Fund Trust was established to bridge the gap. He said that the trust last month gave way scholarships of more than Rs 1.6 million to deserving students with the help of old students of GCU.