USP Rector Commends NCBA&E Alhamra University Initiative to Counter Violent Extremism Through Academic Dialogue and Collaboration

Rector USP Calls for Collective Action to Foster Peace, Tolerance, and Educational Opportunities in Southern Punjab

Prof. Emeritus Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Rector of the University of Southern Punjab (USP), Multan, has highly appreciated the initiative by Mian Muhammad Jahangir, Director/CEO of NCBA&E, Alhamra University, Multan, to organize a thought-provoking seminar titled “A Dialogue to Counter Violent Extremism Through Academic Institutions in Pakistan: Learning from UK Experience.”

The keynote speaker was Prof. Dr. Toaha Qureshi, MBE (UK), who provided an important forum for dialogue on the role of academic institutions in promoting peace, tolerance, social cohesion, and constructive engagement among young people. After the lecture, participants engaged in dialogue with the keynote speaker about contemporary issues facing Pakistani academia amid artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

The event featured the world-renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari, Rector of the Jamia Khairul Madaris and a long-time advocate of interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence. Several rectors, vice chancellors, and senior academic leaders, along with the media and business community, participated in the event.

Recalling the early days of higher education development in Southern Punjab, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar highlighted the University of Southern Punjab's pioneering contributions, formerly the Institute of Southern Punjab, in expanding private-sector higher education opportunities in the region. He observed that the growth of private higher education institutions has created new opportunities for the sons and daughters of Southern Punjab to pursue quality education closer to home.

Prof. Mukhtar emphasized that academic institutions must move beyond individual achievements and collaborate to build a peaceful, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant environment for the youth of Southern Punjab. He stressed that universities must serve not only as centers of academic excellence but also as platforms for mutual understanding, critical thinking, tolerance, and responsible citizenship.

He particularly commended Mian Muhammad Jahangir and his team for this timely initiative, noting that meaningful progress requires the collective commitment of university leaders, educators, civil society, and other stakeholders. Such collaborations can help address the challenges facing young people and strengthen education's role in building a peaceful and prosperous society.

Prof. Mukhtar called on universities and higher education institutions across Southern Punjab to join hands to advance shared educational, social, and developmental goals. He underscored that a united approach would help create a more congenial environment where young people can learn, innovate, contribute to society, and realize their full potential.

The initiative reflects the growing importance of academic dialogue and institutional collaboration in addressing contemporary social challenges. It also reinforces higher education institutions' shared responsibility to nurture informed, tolerant, and socially responsible generations.