The National Round of the Pakistan Universities Debating Championship 2021-22 saw King Edward Medical University (KEMU) of Lahore and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) of Islamabad win the Urdu and English debate competitions, respectively.
Following regional rounds held earlier in five regions of the country, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and ICT/AJK/Gilgit-Baltistan, the national and final round of the Championship was held at HEC Secretariat.
The prize distribution ceremony for the winners of the Independence Day Competition in four categories, namely poetry (English), poetry (Urdu), painting, and videography, was also held at the event.
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Shields and cash awards were given to the victors of the Debating Championship and the Independence Day Competition. The first-place winners received Rs. 100,000 in cash, while the second and third place winners received Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 50,000, respectively.
Gomal University, Peshawar, came in second in the Urdu debate in the National Round of the Pakistan Universities Debating Championship, followed by Dow University of Health Sciences, Lahore, which came in third. Similarly, in the English debate, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi came in second, while the University of Balochistan came in third.
Ms. Sanniyah Eman received first place in English Poetry at the Independence Day Competition, followed by Ms. Arshiyah Sohaib and Ms. Asma in second and third place, respectively. Asif Ali, Ahmed Saeed Chaudhary, and Ihtisham Mubarak took first, second, and third place in the field of Urdu poetry, respectively.
Hadia Javed took first place in the Painting category, followed by Fatimah Shakir in second place, and Fatima Ahmed in third place. Javed Hussain took first place in the Videography category, followed by Adeel Fatima in second place, and Bakhtiyar Ahmed in third place.
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Dr. Shaista Sohail, the Acting Chairperson and Executive Director of HEC, addressed the participants, saying that Pakistani youth have tremendous potential and ability. She stated that while the country’s youth bulge is a boon, there is a need to develop Pakistani youth potential. She exhorted the pupils to work hard and equip themselves with the necessary information and abilities to face future challenges.
Adviser (Coordination) HEC, Awais Ahmed, addressed the closing ceremony and thanked the winning teams, emphasizing that the capacity to transmit one’s views and communicate is a blessing that helps in all stages of life and in all types of fora.
He emphasized the importance of poetry, painting, and videography, saying that poets, painters, and videographers’ abilities enable them to transmit large concepts and messages in a short amount of time. He counseled the pupils to use tolerance and patience in both their academic pursuits and their everyday lives.
HEC Academic Adviser Engr. Muhammad Raza Chohan emphasized the importance of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities in the development of students’ personalities. He claimed that HEC not only promotes the quality of higher education and research in universities but also encourages them to participate in healthy extracurricular activities.
Mr. Chohan stated that the Pakistan Universities Debating Championship 2021-22 was organized in a parliamentary manner to teach the youth in the art of persuasion and to become successful speakers with technical proficiency and eloquence.