SU Organizes 'National Research Students' Conference-2018'

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2018 ) :The speakers have termed the first one-day National Research Students' Conference 2018 (NRSC-2018) an excellent platform for the young scholars currently enrolled in Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs at Sindh University.

The conference was organized by SU's Institute of English Language and Literature (IELL) on Wednesday in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) at Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto Research Chair and Convention Centre in Jamshoro.

The SU's Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Fateh Muhammad Burfat said he was happy to note that national and international events including research conferences, symposia and seminars had become a regular feature at the SU, said a press release.

He added that he was also delighted to witness IELL organizing in succession the national event a year after it had successfully organized international interface on language and literature in November 2017.

"The fact about this national conference that affords me special pleasure is to know that the ongoing squad of IELL faculty have cared to remember their retired teachers, their benefactors, the individuals, who by their sweat and blood laid strong foundations of the institute and produced as fertile a crop of students as those who equally efficiently managed the affairs of the institute," the vice chancellor observed.

Dr. Burfat further emphasized that hardly any other Department of English in any public university in Pakistan possessed the rare and proud distinction of housing more than 15 PhD faculty members as the SU.

Dean Faculty of Arts Prof. Dr. Rafique Ahmed Memon said the institute's team was a strong cohesive force capable of accomplishing milestone achievements.

The institute's director Prof. Dr. Tariq Hassan Umrani and Secretary of conference Dr. Farida Yasmin Panhwar shared with the audience aims, objectives and details of the session in the conference.

The keynote speaker of the conference, noted that scholar and Director Sindh Abhyas academy, SZABIST Karachi, Dr. Ghazala Rehman Rafiq, in her address, stressed on the centrality of mother tongue as a most productive means of medium of instruction in the early years of education.

"I understand the language used as a medium of instruction has everything to do with a child's cognitive development: their self-esteem and their full and holistic actualization as an individual in the society," she underlined.

Dr. Rehman said use of second and third languages as medium of instruction was highly detrimental for child's cognizance.

She said if the language did not relate to a child or their environment, it rather ended up distancing them from learning and led towards irreparable damage in terms of contextual, curricular, cultural and cognitive disconnect.

The scholar recommended use of child's mother tongue as a medium of instruction at Primary level, inclusion of second language at secondary phase and integration of English as a third language at intermediate and advanced levels.

"This is to allow the learners to take optimum advantage of their natural talent and abilities," she said.

"I advocate the case not just of Sindhi language but I do it for all the 69 languages in Pakistan. I have no problem with urdu language as a national language of communication. But no language should be allowed to act as a hegemony apparatus to any other language as such," she underscored.

Dr. Rehman said any such step which denied the use of first language for early learning would be in utter negation of the language rights guaranteed by UNESCO and other relevant global forums.

Illustrious scholars Prof. Dr. K M Larik, Prof. Dr. Asadullah Larik, Prof. Dr. Syed Qalandar Shah Lakyari, Dr. Bushra Khurram, Dr. Liaquat Channa, Dr. Muhammad Asif from Karachi, Quetta, Faisalabad and Jamshoro conducted the theme-related workshops.

They also offered deliberations at the conference sessions and chaired various technical sessions of the day-long moot.

As many as 45 PhD and M.Phil research scholars presented their papers in parallel, especially-arranged session rooms.

Another 15 scholars displayed their research projects in form of poster presentations at the event's sidelines.

The participants exhibited keen interest in and profuse appreciation for the poster work hoisted thereof.

Earlier, the vice chancellor, the keynote speakers and the guest academics were decorated with traditional 'ajrak-wear' and were also presented souvenir shields.

The appreciation shields and certificates were awarded to presenters, participants, faculty and volunteers in recognition of their input.