Forman Christian College
Forman Christian College University, or FCCU, is a chartered university in Lahore, Pakistan, named after its American-born founder, Dr. Charles William Forman.
History
The university was founded by Dr. Charles William Forman who arrived to South Asia in 1847 and, two years later, settled in Lahore (now in Pakistan). He was the founder of the Rang Mahal School, Lahore, which was the first Anglo-vernacular school in the Punjab. The school added a college department in 1865 which was later known as Forman Christian College and then University.
One of Forman's faculty members, Prof. Arthur Compton, conducted the bulk of his research on cosmic rays at FCC University for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1927. One of Professor Compton's former students Professor Piara Singh Gill taught at the college as Lecturer in Physics between 1940 and 1947. Two alumni, Dr. Sir S. S. Bhatnagar and Dr. Bashir Ahmad, laid the foundation for scientific and industrial research in both parts of the subcontinent by establishing ICSIR and PCSIR respectively.
The first two Science graduates of FC College University were also the first Science graduates of the University of the Punjab (1900–1902). In this way FCCU was the first to establish, in this part of the sub-continent, Departments of Biology (1898), Greek, Latin and Hebrew Languages (1895–96), Industrial Chemistry (1917), Geography (1924), setting up the Experimental Psychology Laboratory, introducing the tutorial system (1908), appointing Deans of the Faculties introducing co-educational system (1902), and establishing a alumni Association (1896).
Achievements
Achievements of other Formanites, as the graduates are called, include:
- Its Principal Dr. Sir J. C. R. Ewing was knighted for his services to humanity and education. He served as Vice Chancellor of the Punjab University for seven years.
- Principal Dr. C. H. Rice and a faculty member, Dr. Khairat M. Ibne Rasa, became Vice Chancellors of the Punjab University.
- Justice Sir Mian Abdur Rashid, who was a Formanite and also the first Chief Justice of Pakistan, administered the oath of office to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first Governor General.
Accreditation
The university has designed its four year Bachelors Degree program in accordance with the standards for accreditation in the USA, and is seeking accreditation through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[1]
Relationship with universities abroad
FCCU has signed a cooperative agreement with the University of Kentucky (USA) through which cooperation will be developed in:
- Joint research activities,
- Exchange of academic materials and academic publications,
- Exchanges of faculty and students.
Faculty member exchanges will be for research, lectures and discussions, and student exchanges will be for study and research.
Students societies
- The Leadership Forum
- The Art Junction
- Library Affairs for Religious Studies (M. Samiullah)
- Islamic Society
- International Affairs Society[2]
- Folio (University Magazine Committee)
- Formanites' Education Society
- Formanites Debating Society
- Dramatic Society
- Ewing Literary Society
- Music Society
- Photography Society
- English Club
- Formanites Adventure Club
- Formanites Computing Society
- Political Science Society
- Earth Watch Club[3]
- Speers Chemical Society
- Statistics Society
- Benade Physics society
- Lucas Economics Society
- Chess Society
- TEDx
- Red Crescent Society
- Forman Christian Life Program
- Formanites Computing Society
- Griswold History Society
- Rotaract Club
- Formanites Journalism Society
- Forman Sociological Association
- Forman Psychological Society
- Senior Biological Society
- Bazme Fikr-o-Nazar
- Dean Geographical Society
- Undergraduate Mathematics society
Notable alumni
- Politicians
- Yousaf Raza Gillani, the 17th Prime Minister of Pakistan
- Inder Kumar Gujral, the 13th Prime Minister of India
- Mohammad Mian Soomro, fomer Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan.
- Pervez Musharraf, former President of Pakistan, and former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army
- Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan and now, the Vice Chairman of PTI
- Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current President of PML-Q
- Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, former Chief Minister of Punjab
- Rao Sikandar Iqbal (1943–2010), former Defence Minister of Pakistan[4]
- Farooq Leghari former President of Pakistan.
- Ch Ahmad Mukhtar, current Defence Minister of Pakistan.
- Bureacrats and Diplomats
- Salman Siddique former chief secretary Punjab. Now chairman FBR.
- Tariq Aziz, fomer principal secretary of Pervez Musharraf.
- Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa, former chief secretary of Punjab.
- Jamsheed Marker, United Nations Under-secretary General, Ambassador at Large of Pakistan (honorary doctorate)
- Educationalists
- Dr. Anwar Naseem, nuclear scientist and molecular biologist
- Dr. Kausar Abdullaha Malik, secretary of the National Commission on Biotechnology.
- Eqbal Ahmed, post-colonialist scholar and writer
- Ishtiaq Ahmed, PhD Stockholm University, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University and Honorary Senior Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
- Cecil Chaudhry, a decorated war hero, serving as the Principal of St Mary's Academy (Rawalpindi)
- Swami Rama Tirtha, Indian teacher of the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta
- Industry
- Lord Paul, Swaraj Paul, founder and CEO of Caparo Group
- Shuja Haider Zaidi, [1] President and CEO, Chem-Energy Corporation, Los Angeles, California USA.
- Saleem Ghauri, President, Netsol Technologies.
- Journalism
- Literature
References
External links