COMSATS Lahore Hosts Networking Dinner for Academia, Media and Business Community

Rector Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar attends as chief guest; Director Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas hosts event; Ali Imran Santo enthrals audience with Qawwali performance.

COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Lahore Campus hosted a networking dinner in honour of distinguished personalities from academia, media, industry, commerce and the business community. Director, CUI Lahore Campus, Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas welcomed Rector, COMSATS University Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, who attended the event as chief guest, along with other distinguished guests.

The gathering brought together vice chancellors, rectors, academics, senior journalists, media executives, business leaders and senior officials from across the country.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas thanked the distinguished guests for attending the event and described the networking dinner as a welcome initiative towards strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. He underscored the importance of bringing universities, media organisations, industry and the business community closer to create opportunities for meaningful engagement and cooperation.

The networking dinner was aimed at providing a common platform to academia, media, industry, commerce and the business community to strengthen professional linkages and explore new avenues of collaboration in education, research, technology and business. Throughout the evening, participants interacted and exchanged views on academic and research partnerships, industry-academia linkages and possibilities for future collaborative initiatives.

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar said COMSATS University Islamabad was placing particular emphasis on digital governance, artificial intelligence, future-oriented education and workforce development. He highlighted the university’s efforts to respond to the rapidly evolving technological and educational landscape through institutional and academic transformation.

He said the CUI Digital Suite was facilitating the use of digital systems to enhance administrative efficiency, transparency and data-driven decision-making. He further said that under the university’s 6-C policy, particular emphasis was being placed on Communication, Creativity, Coding, Cybersecurity, Cloud and Co-Intelligence to equip students with skills required in an increasingly digital world. Faculty training and life-skills programmes, he added, were also being pursued to strengthen the professional and practical capabilities of faculty members and students.

A special Qawwali performance was also arranged as part of the networking dinner. Renowned Qawwal Ali Imran Santo captivated the audience with his soulful voice, distinctive style and spiritually evocative renditions. The performance received an enthusiastic response from the guests, with the interplay of vocals and traditional instruments adding a vibrant cultural dimension to the evening.

Informal interactions among representatives of academia, media, industry, commerce and the business community continued throughout the event. Participants highlighted the importance of stronger university-industry linkages, practical applications of research and technology, and cross-sector collaboration for the country’s academic, social and economic development.

The networking dinner at COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, provided an opportunity for leaders and professionals from diverse sectors to exchange ideas, experiences and perspectives under one roof, marking an important step towards building stronger institutional and professional linkages for the future of the Lahore Campus.

Academia

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah, Vice Chancellor, University of the Punjab; Prof. Dr. Muhammad Omer Chaudhry, Vice Chancellor, Government College University Lahore; Prof. Dr. Aqif Anwar Chaudhry, Vice Chancellor, University of Education; Prof. Dr. Adnan Noor Mian, Vice Chancellor, Information Technology University; Mian Imran Masood, Vice Chancellor, University of South Asia; Prof. Dr. Rauf-i-Azam, Vice Chancellor, Government College University Faisalabad; Prof. Dr. Kanwal Ameen, Vice Chancellor, Government College Women University Faisalabad; Prof. Dr. Shazia Anjum, Vice Chancellor, The Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur; Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur; Prof. Dr. Syeda Shahida Batool, Vice Chancellor, The Women University Multan; Prof. Dr. Nadeem Sheikh, Vice Chancellor, University of Mianwali; Prof. Dr. Masood Rabbani, Vice Chancellor, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore; Prof. Dr. Masood Sarwar Awan, Vice Chancellor, University of Sargodha; Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akbar, Vice Chancellor, University of Chenab; Dr. Asif Raza, Rector, University of Management and Technology; Abbas Haider, Chairman, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Sargodha; and Mehr Ahmad Khan Haral, Director Sports, University of Sargodha, among other heads of higher education institutions and academics.

Media, business and other sectors

Dr. Kaiser Rafiq, Chief Executive Officer, Discover Pakistan; Ali Chaudhry, Chief Executive Officer, UrduPoint; former DGPR Dr. Aslam Dogar; Shaheen Raza, Country Director Sales, Geo TV; Yaseen Khan, Chairman, Sundas Foundation; Shakeel Malik and Sufyan Mehmood from PTV; Shahbaz Chaudhry from Kohenoor TV; businessman Imran Javed; and Chaudhry Iftikhar, Chief Executive Officer, PSO Lahore, besides other representatives of the media, industry, commerce and business community.