| Government College University | |
|---|---|
| Motto |
[Courage to know] name = Government College University, Lahore |
| Established | 1864 |
| Type | Education and Research |
| Academic staff | 352 |
| Students | 5864 |
| Location | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Campus | Urban |
| Affiliations | HEC |
| Website | www.gcu.edu.pk |
Government College University, Lahore (formerly Government College, Lahore) is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan. Although the college was granted the status of university by the Pakistan Government in 2002, the word college is still retained in the name for historical reasons and also because of the wide recognition of the name Government College in Pakistan. The University offers bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degrees in a variety of disciplines. The university currently has more than 6000 students and 323 faculty members and is ranked at No.6 by HEC in General category.[1] Alumni of Government College are called Ravians which is derived from the name of the magazine "Ravi", published by the administration of the college.
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Government College University, Lahore as a college, is older than any other college or university in Pakistan except Forman Christian College University, Lahore. Under the British Raj the college was opened on 1 January 1864 in a portion of the Palace of Raja Dhyan Singh Haveli. The institution was affiliated with the University of Calcutta for examination. Along with the establishment of the college, Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner (professor of Arabic and Islamic Law at King's College in London) was nominated as principal of college. He later was instrumental in the foundation of Punjab University, Lahore in 1882. The first class consisted of 9 students, all of whom matriculated from Calcutta University. In April 1871, the college moved to its present site. In 1996, it received autonomous status; on 9 September 2002, it became a university. Eric C. Dickinson became its Principal in the Forty's. He initially taught English at the Aligarh Muslim University and where among his students were both Ahmed Ali (Twilight in Delhi) and Raja Rao (The Serpent and the Rope) in 1925-29.
The Torch, as the crest of University emblem, represents the light of knowledge that this unique institution has been giving to generations since its founding. The motto "Courage to Know" represents the guiding principle of the student community. It is intended to develop courage among the students to fulfil their academic potential.
Built during the colonial era, the architectural style, known to be the Celestial Gothic, best suited the academic building. Government College University (GCU) Lahore is considered to be one of the most majestic buildings in the sub-continent. Reflecting the neo gothic tradition, the building imparts the grandeur and mannerism that adapts the climatic and environmental requirements in the form of its wide verandahs and high ceilings. Further scale and grandeur is added to the building by placing it on the highest level of its contoured site. Sprawling lawns combined with an intricate landscape are the integral parts of GCU's overall perception. Not only did the architect design a majestic building but also complemented this grandeur with the openness of its grand lawn, the "Oval Ground" of the University Campus.
The Academic departments of the GCU offer a wide choice of subjects with flexible study patterns that meet the needs and interests of the students at intermediate, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The university consists of the following faculties, centres and teaching departments:
Faculty of Engineering
The Government College University has a very provocative and ambitious Physics institute, which is known as Salam Chair in Physics (ASCP). The Physics institute was named after noted Theoretical physicist and only Pakistani Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam who had also studied during 1940s and taught at the GCU during the 1950s. The Physics Institute became operational in March 2000 with the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, a life long friend of Professor Abdus Salam. In 2009, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) donated Dr. Abdus Salam’s, original Nobel certificate to Salam Chair in Physics. Former director of ICTP Dr. Katepalli R. Sreenivasan visited Pakistan where he had gifted the original Nobel certificate to GCU alma mater. The certificate reads “For their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter-alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".[2]
It has initiated a number of academic programmes aimed at promoting activity in Physics. Some of its important achievements include: getting 52 research publications in international journals; producing 30 Ph.D. and 90 M.Phil thesis; setting up Plasma Technology Lab and contracting handsome research grants from various funding agencies and research centre for example the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Italy), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).
The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) is one of the largest mathematical research institute in the country. The school was established in 2003 by the Government of the Punjab under the aegis of GCU. It aimed at providing liberal education to the youth of the Subcontinent irrespective of caste, color or creed. The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) is one of the fastest growing doctoral mathematics schools in the world. Website: [www.sms.edu.pk]
The principle aim of the School is to train professional scientists to pursue the study of scientific and technological problems by mathematical methods, and to undertake research in various branches of mathematical sciences. The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) offers Pakistan’s largest and strongest Ph.D. Programme in Mathematics.Before the existence of ASSMS, Pakistani Mathematicians used to go abroad for Post-doctoral fellowship. Now here at ASSMS things are happening other way round. Number of young M.Phil/Ph.D holders from prestigious institutions of the world are choosing ASSMS to do their post-doctoral fellowship. This success of post-doctoral fellowship program speaks of high quality faculty at ASSMS.
ASSMS is taking some effective and practical steps to promote and popularise mathematics in schools of Pakistan. In this direction, the worthy director of ASSMS "Dr. Alla Ditta Raza Choudary" has taken two concrete steps that are providing a much needed encouragement and incentive to Pakistani students in schools and colleges. They are:
Institute of Industrial Biotechnology GC University, Lahore was established in April 2005. Prof Ikram-ul-Haq is the first head of the institute. Now the Vice Chancellor has consented to launch B.Sc., M.Sc, & M. Phil classes in Biotechnology and constitute a separate Board of Studies for the institute.
Alumni of the University are called Ravians.