Governor highlights employment, higher education reforms at BUMHS White Coat Ceremony

QUETTA, Nov 05 (APP):Governor Balochistan Jaffar Khan Mandokhail has said that providing employment opportunities to the province’s youth remains Balochistan’s greatest challenge and stressed the need to modernise agriculture and other economic sectors to address the issue effectively.

He emphasized that young people should be equipped not merely to seek government jobs but to become capable of creating employment opportunities for others.

The governor expressed these views while addressing the orientation and White Coat Ceremony organized by the Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences (BUMHS), Quetta, in honour of newly enrolled students.

The event was attended by Provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, Vice Chancellor Dr Shabir Lehri, faculty members, students and other distinguished guests.

During the ceremony, laptops were distributed among female students under the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Programme, while the governor also inaugurated a modern digital e-library at the university.

Describing the facility as a significant achievement, he said access to digital resources would help broaden students’ intellectual horizons, strengthen research activities and promote the dissemination of knowledge.

Jaffar Mandokhail noted that every era has its own requirements and challenges. While academic degrees were once the primary yardstick of success, he said the modern world increasingly values practical skills and professional competencies. He urged students to focus on skill development, adding that those completing professional and technical courses would enjoy better employment prospects both within Pakistan and abroad.

The governor said efforts were underway to create scholarship opportunities for Balochistan’s youth in countries such as Japan and China. He also commended the provincial government and Education Minister Raheela Durrani for supporting public-sector universities and addressing financial and administrative challenges confronting higher education institutions.

Highlighting the role of governance structures in academia, he said bodies such as senates and syndicates play a crucial role in university development because they bring together experienced scholars, experts and senior professionals whose collective wisdom contributes to institutional progress. According to the governor, continuous efforts to improve public-sector universities have already produced encouraging results, reflected in significant improvements in university rankings and performance indicators.

Jaffar Mandokhail also expressed concern over the departure of more than 100 PhD scholars from the province due to restrictions on the regular appointment of professors and researchers. He stressed the importance of providing job security and competitive remuneration to senior academics and researchers, adding that the provincial government would soon take steps, through cabinet approval and stakeholder consultation, to find a lasting solution to the issue.

Addressing student welfare, the governor noted that many deserving students are forced to discontinue their education because of financial difficulties and their inability to pay tuition fees. In this regard, he authorized Vice Chancellor Dr Shabir Lehri to extend fee concessions to deserving students and reiterated his commitment to making higher education more accessible.

Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani said the present era is defined by artificial intelligence, but human beings themselves represent the most remarkable creation endowed with intelligence and capabilities. She credited Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti for supporting efforts to overcome challenges faced by public-sector universities and praised initiatives aimed at establishing digital educational facilities.

Vice Chancellor Dr Shabir Lehri described the day as a milestone for the university, stating that BUMHS had achieved several important accomplishments simultaneously. He revealed that professional short-term and long-term courses launched on the governor’s directions had received around 20,000 applications, which he termed a unique achievement in the history of universities across the province.

The ceremony concluded with a renewed commitment to empower Balochistan’s youth through quality education, digital resources, practical skills and financial assistance, enabling them to build successful careers and contribute meaningfully to the province’s economic and social development.