GCUF holds symposium on promoting peace and critical thinking
The Directorate of Students’ Affairs at Government College University Faisalabad organised a symposium titled “The Role of Faculty and Academia in Promoting Peace and Critical Thinking” to highlight the responsibility of educational institutions in fostering a culture of dialogue and tolerance.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-i-Azam attended the symposium as the chief guest. He highlighted practical measures to promote peace and critical thinking on campus, emphasizing open dialogue, research-based learning and respect for diverse perspectives to develop balanced and responsible minds.
The panel discussion featured Prof Dr Babak Mehmood, Prof Dr Rabia Khawar, Dr Muhammad Amir Manj, Dr Tariq Mehmood Hashmi, Dr Mazhar Abbas and Dr Warda Azhar. The panellists emphasised the importance of academic freedom, inclusive classrooms and ethical scholarship in countering extremism and intolerance. They highlighted the role of teachers as mentors in shaping students’ character and underscored the need to integrate critical inquiry, civic responsibility and digital literacy into curricula to prepare youth for contemporary challenges.
Prof Dr Hamayun Abbas Shams, drawing insightful examples from the Holy Quran and Sunnah, spoke about the values of tolerance, patience, dialogue and mutual respect.
