LAHORE: As many as 5,486 graduates were awarded degrees at the 16th convocation of the University of Lahore (UoL) on Monday.

As many as 169 graduates received gold medals, 4,244 got undergraduate degrees in separate disciplines, 1,117 graduate degrees, and 125 achieved PhD degrees in the convocation.

Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar was chief guest at the ceremony. UoL BoG Chairman Awais Rauf, Deputy Chairman Uzair Rauf, Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Uganda Equator University of Science & Technology (EQUSat) Vice Chancellor Prof MouhamadMpezamihigo, UoL Registrar Ali Aslam,Controller Asim Ali and others were present in the ceremony.

Addressing the convocation, Mr Khokhar congratulated the students and their parents, emphasising that parents had waited this moment the most, as their years of hard work had borne fruit.

The minister also acknowledged the challenges graduates face in securing jobs and highlighted a paid internship programme launched for fresh graduates.

`We initially started with 6,000 students receiving paid internships at a stipend of Rs60,000. That programme has concluded, but I assure you that in the next phase, fresh graduates from the University of Lahore will also be accommodated,` he added. Staff Reporter