hether it’s your average public school/ college/ university or an upscale private institute, it is fair to assume that they all have former students who turned out to be achievers in their own right.

Interestingly, though, while some of those eminent alumni remain immortalised on their respective college/ university rolls of honour because they had distinguished academic and/ or co-curricular records, a lot others who made great name after they passed out often remain unsung back on campus. Government College University, Lahore, is raring to change that. Recently, the university bestowed 10 of the illustrious Old Ravians with lifetime achievement awards for their leadership and other inspiring contributions to the society at large. The occasion chosen for the awards night was the varsity’s annual convocation.

This wasn’t GCU’s first time. Last year, the varsity had conferred lifetime achievement awards on ace constitutionalist SM Zafar, best-selling author Mustansar Hussain Tarar, environmentalist Dr Pervez Hassan; internationally recognised actor, director and broadcaster Zia Mohyeddin; and philanthropist and businessman Syed Babar Ali.

This year’s list was no less daunting. It included nuclear physicist Dr Samar Mubarikmand; renowned educationist Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra; former cricketer Ramiz Raja; Prof Javed Akram; singer turned actor Hadiqa Kiani; the founder of Akhuwat, Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib; and Barrister Aitezaz Ahsan, who received the award from GCU Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi, in the company of his wife, sister, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

In his acceptance speech, Barrister Ahsan said he’d love to share with the current students what his experience at the GCU had been over half a century ago.

Dr Akram, who is the serving vice-chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, commended the GCU for its efforts to honour its alumni. “As an institute ages, the number of its notable alumni grows,” he said. “The UHS is barely two decades old. It too needs to launch achievement awards for its distinguished alumni.”

He concluded by saying, “It’s very important for institutes to lay down new traditions. This way they progress. […] I applaud the GCU and its forward-thinking VC, Dr Asghar Zaidi, for starting this inspiring tradition.”

This year’s awardees include nuclear physicist Dr Samar Mubarikmand; educationist Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra; former cricketer Ramiz Raja; singer turned actor Hadiqa Kiani; and the founder of Akhuwat, Dr Muhammad Amjad Saqib.

In the opinion of Dr Asir Ajmal, an old Ravian and former professor at the GCU, the varsity could do well with nominating achievers from armed forces, politics, performing arts and the former and current faculty. He insisted, “What matters is that the choices are made according to some set criterion.”

He also stressed the need for the Old Ravians’ Union to call for nominations, vote for the best nominees, and then send the list to the syndicate. “The Old Ravians must be involved in decision-making. They are a group that maintains regular contact with the varsity,” he said.

Dr Akram respectfully disagreed: “I think this could set in motion a sort of lobbying and campaigning process that may become politicised. We should trust the wisdom of the syndicate for the final list.”

t is not unusual for universities around the world to honour their exceptional former students. Griffith University in Australia regularly holds what it calls the Outstanding Alumni Awards. The candidates are considered for such titles as Outstanding Alumnus Award, Outstanding First People’s Alumnus Award, Outstanding International Alumnus Award and Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

The University College of Toronto, Canada, awards its noted alumni at the Alumni of Influence awards, held every year since 2012. Their stated mission is that “the success stories of our alumni should be known to current students and fellow graduates.” The Alumni of Influence is regarded as UC’s signature event.

Muhammad Imran, an Old Ravian currently based in the US, believes that his alma mater “must also celebrate diversity, which the college has proudly cultivated.” To elaborate on his point, he says, “The GCU attracts students from all over Pakistan — Balochistan, the KP, Sindh, the Punjab and so on. But if you look at the current list of recipients, you find that it is dominated by the Punjabis.”

He adds, “I’d be delighted if the GCU could institute awards for its outstanding overseas alumni too.”

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship