View source for Government College University, Lahore

{{Short description|Public research university in Lahore, Pakistan}}
{{Other uses|Government College University (disambiguation){{!}}Government College University}}
{{Third-party|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date = March 2019}}
{{Infobox university
| name                 = Government College University
| image                = Government College University,Logo.png
| image_size           = 250px
| image_alt            = 
| caption              = 
| latin_name           = 
| motto                = {{ubl|''Educating People for Tomorrow'' (historical)|{{nowrap|''Courage to Know'' (present)}}}}
| motto_lang           = English
| mottoeng             = 
| established          = {{Start date and age|1864}}
| closed               = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}} -->
| type                 = [[Public university|Public]]
| accreditation        = {{ubl|[[Higher Education Commission (Pakistan)|Higher Education Commission]]|[[Pakistan Engineering Council]]|[[Pakistan Bar Council]]}}
| endowment            = 
| budget               = 
| officer_in_charge    = 
| chancellor           = [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor of the Punjab]]
| superintendent       = 
| vice_chancellor      = Dr. Rana Waleed <ref>{{Cite web|title=Prof. Rana Waleed appointed GCU VC
|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/NewsMore.php?id=407}}</ref>
| provost              = 
| principal            = 
| head_label           = 
| academic_staff       = 454<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| administrative_staff = 103<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| students             = 10,662<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore">{{cite web|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/about/|title=About – GC University, Lahore|publisher=Government College University, Lahore|access-date=29 August 2020|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| undergrad            = 5,831<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| postgrad             = 1,712<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| doctoral             = 520<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| other                = Intermediate, Certifications<ref name="About - GC University, Lahore" />
| address              = 
| city                 = [[Lahore]]
| state                = [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]]
| country              = Pakistan
| coor                 = {{coord|31.5732|N|74.3079|E|display=inline,title}}
| campus               = Urban
| former_names         = Government College (GC)
| colours              = {{color box|#00308F}}{{color box|#DAA520}}{{color box|#800000}} Royal blue, goldenrod, maroon
| athletics            = 
| sports               = 
| other_name           = GCU
| website              = {{URL|gcu.edu.pk}}
| logo                 = 
| footnotes            = 
}}
The '''Government College University''' (colloquially known as '''GCU'''; [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjabi]], [[Urdu]]: {{nq|گورنمنٹ کالج یونیورسٹی}}) is a [[Public university|public]] [[research university]] in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]. Founded as Government College, Lahore, in 1864 under [[Punjab Province (British India)|British administration]], it became a [[university]] in 2002.

== Overview ==

In 1864, '''Government College''' was established by the [[British Rule in India|British government in India]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=About – GC University, Lahore|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/about/|access-date=2019-09-16|website=gcu.edu.pk|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bangash |first1=Yaqoob Khan |last2=Virdee |first2=Pippa |date=October 2022 |title=Partitioning the University of the Panjab, 1947 |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00194646221130414 |journal=The Indian Economic & Social History Review |language=en |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=423–445 |doi=10.1177/00194646221130414 |hdl=2086/22269 |s2cid=253263019 |issn=0019-4646|hdl-access=free }}</ref> After being elevated to university status in 2002, it has become one the ten largest educational institutions in Pakistan,{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} with a student body of over 12,000. It has 32 academic departments, segregated into five faculties. There are five research centers, focused on academic and industrial research and development projects. The university secured the second place in the general category by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hec.gov.pk/INSIDEHEC/DIVISIONS/QALI/OTHERS/RANKINGOFUNIVERSITIES/Pages/CategoryWise.aspx#|title=HEC rankings|publisher=Higher Education Commission, Pakistan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525073744/http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/QALI/Others/RankingofUniversities/Pages/CategoryWise.aspx|archive-date=25 May 2013|access-date=20 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has the highest graduation rate in the country, with an average of 94.6% annually.<ref name="Graduation at GCU">{{cite web|title=Graduation at GCU|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/about/#1582535152254-f0a6c38b-13ff|access-date=24 September 2020|publisher=GC University, Lahore|archive-date=22 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822171733/https://gcu.edu.pk/about/#1582535152254-f0a6c38b-13ff|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/316429-gcu-among-top-10-universities-of-pakistan|title=GCU among top 10 universities of Pakistan|website=www.thenews.com.pk|access-date=2019-09-17}}</ref> In Government College University, the medium of instruction is [[English language|English]].

Government College University is noted for its historical roots and produced notable scholars such as [[poet]]-[[philosopher]] [[Allama Muhammad Iqbal]], [[Nobel laureates]] [[Har Gobind Khorana]] and [[Abdus Salam]], former president of both the [[United Nations General Assembly]] and the [[International Court of Justice]] [[Muhammad Zafarullah Khan]], scholar and novelist couple [[Bano Qudsia]] and [[Ashfaq Ahmed]]. Among its graduates are also four [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|prime ministers]] and one caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.

== History ==
[[Image:Government college lahore1880b.jpg|thumb|left|Government College, Lahore circa 1880]]
Originally, the establishment of a central college in Lahore was sanctioned in 1856 by the [[British Raj]], given that the teachers were from [[University of Oxford]], [[University of Cambridge]], [[Dublin University HC]] or [[Durham University]]. Under the leadership of [[Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner]], a professor of [[Arabic]] and [[Islamic Law]] at [[King's College London]], the college was established on 1 January 1864, located in the ''Palace of [[Dhian Singh|Raja Dhyan Singh]] Haveli'' ([[Dogras|Dogra]] prime minister of Sikh ruler Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] of Lahore) inside [[Walled City of Lahore]], as an [[affiliated college]] of [[Calcutta University]].

In April 1871, the college moved to a large Bungalow near [[Anarkali Bazaar]]. In 1873, its location was again changed to another house called ''[[Raheem Khan|Rahim Khan]]'s Kothi'' due to rapidly increasing student strength. It moved to its present building in 1876.

The first principal was [[Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner]], whose name is closely attached to the college. In 1882, Leitner was very instrumental in laying the foundation of [[Punjab University, Lahore]]. Thereafter, the college would remain affiliated with Punjab University for 115 years. In 1997, [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|government of the Punjab]] gave Government College autonomy in all affairs and granted degree awarding status.<ref name=":0" />

In 2002, it was promoted to university status by the government of Punjab; the word ''college'' was retained in its title for preserving its historical roots.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Government College University, Lahore Ordinance, 2002|url=http://punjablaws.gov.pk/laws/443.html|access-date=2020-09-24|website=punjablaws.gov.pk}}</ref>
[[File:Government College University, Lahore2.jpg|thumb|Main Building, GCU]]

== Campus ==
[[File:Government College University Tower in Lahore.jpg|alt=|thumb|GCU's iconic tower]]

=== Old Campus ===
Positioned in [[Downtown Lahore]], it is located at the junction of [[The Mall, Lahore]] and the Lower Mall, surrounded by main business and administrative areas, schools, colleges and [[University of the Punjab#Campus|Punjab University old Campus]]. The main building was designed by W. Purdon and completed in 1877 at a cost of Rs. 320,000. In the centre of the main building stands a 176' tall clock tower. Built during the colonial era, the main building reflects the [[neo-Gothic]] tradition, with broad verandahs and elevated ceilings. A large ground accompanies the main building, alluded to as the "Oval Ground". In 2019, the ground was renamed "The Leitner Oval", in honour of Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, the first principal of the institute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/516530-gcu-oval-ground-named-after-dr-leitner|title=GCU Oval ground named after Dr. Leitner|website=www.thenews.com.pk|access-date=2019-09-18}}</ref> To meet the needs of an increasing number of students, several buildings and blocks have been commissioned which include a postgraduate block, a new block for intermediate students and a bachelors' block which is accessible by an [[overhead bridge]]. The main campus is spread over 56 acres along the [[Anarkali Bazaar]], one of the oldest surviving markets in Lahore.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historical Background|url=http://gcu.edu.pk/History.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226044411/http://gcu.edu.pk/History.htm|archive-date=2020-02-26|access-date=2019-09-18|website=gcu.edu.pk}}</ref>

=== Kala Shah Kaku Campus ===
On 24 August 2019, the [[Kala Shah Kaku]] campus of the university was inaugurated which is known as GCU KSK campus. The campus is spread over 370 acres, able to house 25,000 students, 1,250 teachers and 650 staff members. 2 hostels are available for accommodation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-26|title=GCU KSK Campus Opened For Academic Activities|url=https://academiamag.com/gcu-ksk-campus/|access-date=2020-09-23|website=The Academia|language=en-US}}</ref>

On 24 September 2020, the new campus was formally opened to students. A bus shuttle service will operate between both campuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GCU KSK campus becomes operational|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/719247-gcu-ksk-campus-becomes-operational|access-date=2020-09-26|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}</ref>

== Emblem ==
[[File:Night view of Government College University, Lahore.jpg|thumb|Annual Dinner at GCU]]The torch, as the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]] of the university emblem, represents the light of knowledge. The motto "Courage to Know" represents the guiding principle of the student community.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GCU Emblem|url=http://gcu.edu.pk/Logo.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226042215/http://gcu.edu.pk/Logo.htm|archive-date=2020-02-26|access-date=2019-09-15|website=www.gcu.edu.pk}}</ref>

== Academics ==

=== Programs ===
The university offers degrees in [[Higher Secondary School Certificate#Pakistan|Higher Secondary School Certificate]] (locally referred to as ''Intermediate''), [[undergraduate]] and [[post-graduate]] studies. In the higher education level, it offers 28 [[bachelor's degree]]s, 28 [[Master's degree|MS]]/[[MPhil]] Degrees and 19 [[PhD]] degrees. These degrees are offered under the following faculties:

* Faculty of Chemistry and Life Sciences<ref>{{Cite web|title=Faculty of Chemistry and Life Sciences|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/chemistry-and-life-sciences/|website=GC University, Lahore|access-date=22 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509190521/https://gcu.edu.pk/chemistry-and-life-sciences/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Sciences<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mathematical and Physical Sciences|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/mathematical-and-physical-sciences/|website=GC University, Lahore|access-date=22 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509193259/https://gcu.edu.pk/mathematical-and-physical-sciences/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arts & Social Sciences|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/arts-social-sciences/|website=GC University, Lahore|access-date=22 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509192640/https://gcu.edu.pk/arts-social-sciences/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Faculty of Language, Islamic & Oriental Learning<ref>{{Cite web|title=Languages, Islamic & Oriental Learning|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/languages-islamic-oriental-learning/|website=GC University, Lahore|access-date=22 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509185423/https://gcu.edu.pk/languages-islamic-oriental-learning/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Faculty of Engineering<ref>{{Cite web|title=Faculty of Engineering|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/faculty-of-engineering/|website=GC University, Lahore|access-date=22 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509203308/https://gcu.edu.pk/faculty-of-engineering/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Research ===
The university has always been a research-led university, however, in recent times, it has shifted its focus towards quality output projects, which the university believes to be beneficial academically and industrially. Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) has been set up to manage all research issues. The objective of the office is to advance, diversify and manage all research programs and to uphold international standards of research.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) – GC University, Lahore.|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/office-of-research-innovation-and-commercialization/|access-date=2020-09-24|language=en-US|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924112818/http://gcu.edu.pk/office-of-research-innovation-and-commercialization/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It receives research grants mostly from foreign universities like [[Strathclyde University]], [[Cranfield University]], [[World Bank Researchers Alliance for Development]] and [[British Council]] and from national institutes and organizations like [[Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission]] (PAEC), [[Pakistan Science Foundation]] (PSF), [[Khan Research Laboratories]] (KRL), [[PTCL]], Higher Education Commission and [[Ministry of Science and Technology (Pakistan)|Ministry of Science and Technology]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=GCU Research Publications|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/gcu-research-publications/|access-date=2019-09-18|website=www.gcu.edu.pk|archive-date=5 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705161209/https://gcu.edu.pk/gcu-research-publications/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Institutes ===
The university has five autonomous/semi-autonomous, research-oriented institutes, focused on academic and industrial research and development projects. These institutes are:

* ''[[Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences]]'' (ASSMS) – study of scientific and technological problems by [[Mathematical physics|mathematical methods]] in [[mathematical sciences]].
* ''Center for Advanced Studies in Physics'' (CASP) – research and development (R&D) in [[Experimental Physics]].
* ''Institute of Industrial Biotechnology'' (IIB) – offers degrees in [[Biotechnology]] and [[Microbiology]].
* ''Sustainable Development Study Center'' (SDSC) – R&D in [[Environmental science]].
* ''Center of Excellence of China Studies'' (CECS) – offers diplomas in [[Chinese language]] and [[China studies]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=GCU Academic Departments|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/departments/|access-date=2019-09-15|website=www.gcu.edu.pk|archive-date=31 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331061550/http://gcu.edu.pk/departments/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Abdus Salam School for Mathematical Sciences ==
{{Main|Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences}}
The Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences (ASSMS) is one of the largest mathematical research institutes in Pakistan.<ref name="Profile of ASSMS">{{cite web|url=http://sms.edu.pk/downloads/phd/areportonassms.pdf|title=A Report on ASSMS|publisher=Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences, Lahore|access-date=17 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504062917/http://www.sms.edu.pk/downloads/phd/areportonassms.pdf |archive-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> The school was established in 2003 by Government of Punjab under the aegis of Government College University.<ref name="About ASSMS">{{cite web|title=ASSMS – GC University, Lahore|url=https://gcu.edu.pk/abdus-salam-school-of-mathematical-sciences/|publisher=Government College University, Lahore|access-date=24 September 2020|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509184621/https://gcu.edu.pk/abdus-salam-school-of-mathematical-sciences/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2011, it was labeled as the first "Emerging Regional Center of Excellence" by the [[European Mathematical Society]] (EMS) for the period 2011 to 2015.<ref name="European Mathematical Society Website ">{{cite web | url=http://euro-math-soc.eu/EMS-CDC/erce.php | title=Emerging Regional Center of Excellence | publisher=European Mathematical Society | access-date=18 August 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906100534/http://euro-math-soc.eu/EMS-CDC/erce.php | archive-date=6 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

It has taken steps to provide encouragement to Pakistani students in schools and colleges. These include:
* Hiring Foreign Faculty to teach or supervise ASSMS students in advanced level mathematics.<ref name="Success Story of Higher Education Committee of Pakistan: ASSMS">{{cite web | url= http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/HRD/FacultyHiringPrograms/FFHP/Pages/ASSMS.aspx | title= Foreign Faculty Hiring Program: ASSMS | publisher= Higher Education Commission of Pakistan | access-date=18 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230457/http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/HRD/FacultyHiringPrograms/FFHP/Pages/ASSMS.aspx |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> This step was initiated by the founding Director General of ASSMS, A.D.R. Choudary. [[Jürgen Herzog]], [[Josip Pečarić]],<ref name="Josip Pecaric's activities in Pakistan">{{cite web | url=http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10323/1/Josip-Pecarics-activities-in-Pakistan-and-Croatia-from-Mathematics-to-Croatian-history.html |title=Josip Pecaric's activities in Pakistan | publisher= Croatian World Network | access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref> [[Amer Iqbal]], [[Alexandru Dimca]], and [[Hannah Markwig]] are among Foreign Faculty that have supervised/co-supervised Ph.D. students at ASSMS.
* Hosted international conferences and workshops in mathematics.<ref name="Success Story of Higher Education Committee of Pakistan: ASSMS"/> The most important conferences of AS-SMS were “World Conferences of Mathematics in the 21st Century” series, held during the tenure of A.D.R. Choudary. Some notable mathematicians that have visited and given talks in this conference series are [[Ari Laptev]] (president of the EMS 2007–2010),<ref name="The 4th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics">{{cite web|url=http://wc2009.sms.edu.pk/ |title=4th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics |publisher=Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences |access-date=18 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081107042044/http://wc2009.sms.edu.pk/ |archive-date=November 7, 2008 }}</ref> [[Marta Sanz-Solé]] (president of the EMS 2011–2014),<ref name="The 5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics">{{cite web|url=http://wc2011.sms.edu.pk/doku.php |title=5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics |publisher=Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences |access-date=18 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728112434/http://wc2011.sms.edu.pk/doku.php |archive-date=July 28, 2011 }}</ref> [[Pierre Cartier (mathematician)|Pierre Cartier]] (an associate of the [[Nicolas Bourbaki|Bourbaki Group]]),<ref name="The 6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics">{{cite web|url=http://wc2013.sms.edu.pk/doku.php |title=6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics |publisher=Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences |access-date=18 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320003932/http://wc2013.sms.edu.pk/doku.php |archive-date=March 20, 2013 }}</ref> [[Arnfinn Laudal]],<ref name="The 5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/> [[Michel Waldschmidt]],<ref name="The 6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/> [[János Pach]],<ref name="The 5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/> [[Alan Huckleberry]],<ref name="The 5th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/> [[Aline Bonami]],<ref name="The 6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/> and [[Ragni Piene]] (Chair of the [[Abel Prize]] Committee 2010-2014 and the first-ever woman in the [[International Mathematical Union]] Executive Committee).<ref name="The 6th World Conference in 21st Century Mathematics"/>
*Up until 2014, during the tenure of A.D.R. Choudary, the faculty at the Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences hosted training camps for students from schools and colleges. The participants of the camps are prepared for the national team of Pakistan to compete at the [[International Mathematical Olympiad]] (IMO). In 2005, the national team of Pakistan took part for the first time in IMO. Trained in ASSMS, the Pakistan team won its first medal at IMO in 2007 and its first silver medal in 2012.
*ASSMS initiated the [[Mathematical Kangaroo]] contests at the national level.

== Chairs ==
=== Abdus Salam Chair in Physics ===
{{Main|Abdus Salam Chair in Physics}}

The '''Abdus Salam Chair in Physics''', named after the Pakistani [[theoretical physicist]] and Nobel laureate Abdus Salam is an honorary chair in [[physics]] at the university. Starting out as a semi-autonomous institute, it became operational in March 2000 with the efforts of [[Ishfaq Ahmad]], a lifelong friend of Salam. In 2009, the [[International Center for Theoretical Physics]] (ICTP) donated Salam's original Nobel certificate to the Salam Chair in Physics. The former director of ICTP, [[Katepalli R. Sreenivasan]], visited Lahore where he gifted the original Nobel certificate to the university's alma mater. The certificate reads: "''for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter-alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current''".<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\22\story_22-11-2009_pg13_6 GCU houses Dr. Abdus Salam’s Nobel prize] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022135532/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C11%5C22%5Cstory_22-11-2009_pg13_6 |date=22 October 2012 }}</ref>

It has been integrated into Department of Physics, where MPhil and PhD students carry out their research work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gcu.edu.pk/Phys.htm#Facilities|title=Facilities, Dept. of Physics|website=www.gcu.edu.pk|access-date=2019-09-19|archive-date=4 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004063522/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Phys.htm#Facilities|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some of its achievements include: getting 52 research publications in international journals;<ref name="gcu.edu.pk">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm |title=.:.GC University Lahore |access-date=2017-01-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> producing 6 PhD and 25 MPhil theses; setting up a Plasma Technology Lab; and contracting research grants from funding agencies and research centers such as the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL),<ref name="Research Fellowships">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm#RESEARCH_FELLOWSHIPS_AWARDED |title=Research Fellowships Awarded |publisher=Government College University, Lahore |access-date=2 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF)<ref name="Research Grants">{{cite web|url=http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm#RESEARCH_GRANTS_AND_FELLOWSHIPS |title=Research Grants Awarded |publisher=Government College University, Lahore |access-date=2 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042026/http://gcu.edu.pk/Salam_Chair.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> and [[Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (PCSIR).<ref name="gcu.edu.pk" />

=== Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics ===
The '''Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics''' was named after [[Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry]], a renowned Pakistani [[nuclear physicist]] and a professor of [[particle physics]] at the university. He is widely regarded as having been the pioneer of [[Experimental physics|experimental]] nuclear physics research in Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haq|first=Prof. M. Ikramul|date=2004-01-27|title=Remembering Dr Rafi Chaudhry|url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/01/17/letted.htm#6|access-date=2019-08-21|publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn newspaper]]}}</ref> During his tenure as a professor at the university, he set up ''High Tension Laboratory'' there in 1952 (now amalgamated into Center for Advanced Studies in Physics <small>CASP</small>) where research anent to gaseous discharges, ion, and electron impact phenomena, nuclear physics, radioactivity, and cosmic rays is carried out.

The university set up the chair in recognition of his services to Pakistan and to Physics. Currently, post-graduate research work in [[Applied Physics]] is carried out here.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry Chair in Experimental Physics|url=https://www.gcu.edu.pk/RafiCh_Chair.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307073045/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/RafiCh_Chair.htm|archive-date=2020-03-07|access-date=2019-09-19|website=www.gcu.edu.pk}}</ref>

=== Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics ===
The '''Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics''' is the latest addition to honorary chairs at the university, named after [[Mahbub ul Haq]], a Pakistani [[economist]], [[politician]] and [[international development]] theorist who served as the 13th [[Finance Minister of Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mahbub ul Haq|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/obituary/1998/07/23/mahbub-ul-haq|access-date=2020-09-24|issn=0013-0613}}</ref> While serving as the Special Advisor to the [[United Nations Development Program]] (UNDP), he led the establishment of the [[Human Development Report]] (HDI) and the widely respected [[Human Development Index]] (HDI).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-11-04|title=Human Development {{!}} The Reports {{!}} Human Development Reports (HDR) {{!}} United Nations Development Program (UNDP)|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/reports/|access-date=2020-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104100358/http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/reports/|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> ''[[The Economist]]'' called him "one of the visionaries of international development."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/obituary/1998/07/23/mahbub-ul-haq|title=Mahbub ul Haq|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=2016-02-23|issn=0013-0613}}</ref>

The university established the chair to recognize his services to Pakistan, its people, and above all to the discipline of [[Economics]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mahboob-ul-Haq Chair in Economics|url=https://www.gcu.edu.pk/MehbubH_Chair.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209151313/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/MehbubH_Chair.htm|archive-date=2020-02-09|access-date=2019-09-19|website=www.gcu.edu.pk}}</ref> Apart from post-graduate research in Economics, the chair is also in charge of publishing ''GCU Economics Journal'' an annual scholarly and peer-audited publication. Its intent is to act as a platform for researchers, professionals, and students to share their achievements, perspectives, and practical experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Publications: GCU Economic Journal|url=https://www.gcu.edu.pk/Eco_Jour.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117035010/http://gcu.edu.pk/Eco_Jour.htm|archive-date=2020-01-17|access-date=2019-09-19|website=www.gcu.edu.pk}}</ref>

== Accommodation ==
The university has four hostels – three for boys and one for girls. ''Iqbal Hostel'' (built in 1891) and ''Quaid-e-Azam'' ''Hostel'' (built in 1993) accommodate about 150 and 200 Intermediate students, respectively. The ''New Hostel'' (built in 1937) houses about 400 Degree students. ''Girls Hostel'' (built in 1975) accommodates about 50 girl students. A ''Faculty Mess'' has been built for visiting family members, faculty and officers of the other universities. Lodging and messing facilities are available here.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gcu.edu.pk/Accommodation.htm|title=Accommodation at GCU|website=www.gcu.edu.pk|access-date=2019-09-18|archive-date=3 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003052009/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Accommodation.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Notable alumni ==
{{main|List of Ravians}}Alumni of the institute are called Ravians, which is a derived word from the name of the student magazine "''Ravi''", published by the administration of the college; the magazine name itself is inspired by the [[Ravi River]] that passes through [[Lahore]].<ref name="Old Ravian Union">{{cite news|url=http://www.gcu.edu.pk/Alumni.htm|title=Old Ravian Union|last=GCU|newspaper=Old Ravian Union|access-date=9 September 2013|archive-date=30 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630043442/http://www.gcu.edu.pk/alumni.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<gallery class="center">
File:Iqbal.jpg|Sir [[Muhammad Iqbal]] – the national poet of Pakistan and important figure in [[Urdu literature]].
File:Har Gobind Khorana.jpg|[[Har Gobind Khorana]] – won the 1968 Nobel Prize in Medicine.
File:Abdus Salam 1987.jpg|[[Abdus Salam]] – won the 1979 Nobel prize in Physics.
File:Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad.png|[[Ishfaq Ahmad]] – Pakistani nuclear physicist, who served at [[CERN]] and the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]].
File:WajidBurki.jpg|[[Wajid Ali Khan Burki]] – Pakistani ophthalmologist and [[Pakistan Army Medical Corps|Army Medical Corps]] general
File:Air Commodore Saeedullah Khan.jpg|[[Saeedullah Khan]] Pakistani Air Vice Marshal and [[DCAS of the PAF]]
File:ACM OP Mehra.jpg|[[Om Prakash Mehra]] Indian [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] 8th [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]]
File:Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad.jpg|[[Ishfaq Ahmad (computer scientist)|Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad]] - Famous Computer Scientist and Author
</gallery>
*[[Nawaz Sharif]] – former three-time (12th, 14th, and 20th) prime minister of Pakistan.
*[[Zafarullah Khan Jamali]] – 15th prime minister of Pakistan.
*[[Yousaf Raza Gillani]] – 18th prime minister of Pakistan.
*[[Shehbaz Sharif]] - 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.
*[[Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi]] – former caretaker prime minister of Pakistan and former senior vice president of the [[World Bank]].
*[[Madan Lal Dhingra]] (1883–1909), Indian [[revolution]]ary, [[Indian independence movement|pro-independence activist]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Chandra|first=Bipan|title=India's Struggle for Independence|publisher=Penguin Books India|location=New Delhi|year=1989|pages=144–145|isbn=978-0-14-010781-4}}</ref> who, while studying in England, [[Assassination|assassinated]] a [[British raj|British colonial]] officer [[Curzon Wyllie|William Hutt Curzon Wyllie]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Nehru |first=Jawaharlal |author2=Nand Lal Gupta|title=Jawaharlal Nehru on Communalism|publisher=Hope India Publications|page=161|year=2006|isbn=978-81-7871-117-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sI_I-jk8YWsC&pg=PT161}}</ref> Dhingra was hanged at [[HM Prison Pentonville]],<ref name="Open">{{cite web | url=http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/madan-lal-dhingra | title=Madan Lal Dhingra | publisher=The Open University | access-date=19 March 2016}}</ref> denied [[Hindu]] rites and buried by the British authorities.<ref name="Godbole">{{cite web | url=http://www.hindujagruti.org/articles/46_madan-lal-dhingra.html | title=Madan Lal Dhingra: A lion hearted National hero | publisher=Hindu Janajagruti Samiti | access-date=19 March 2016 | author=Godbole, Dr Shreerang}}</ref> [[Winston Churchill]] privately acknowledged Dhingra's [[Madan Lal Dhingra#Statement|statement]] "[t]he Finest ever made in the name of Patriotism".<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Life And Times Of Madan Lal Dhingra|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=U7wwBQAAQBAJ|publisher = Prabhat Prakashan|isbn = 9788184302295|first = Vishav|last = Bandhu| date=19 January 2021 }}</ref>
*[[Jahangir Khan]] – 6-time squash world champion, who is widely regarded as the greatest squash player of all time. 
*[[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]] [[Agha Ibrahim Akram]] – Historian and author  
*[[Syed Ahmed Shah Patras Bokhari]] – humorist, author, broadcaster and diplomat who served as the first [[Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations]].
*[[Munir Ahmad Khan]] – former Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).
*[[Dev Anand]] (born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), Indian film superstar, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema, through a career that spanned over six decades. He was one of the most successful and celebrated actors in the Indian film history.
*[[Faiz Ahmad Faiz]] – one of the most celebrated poets of the Urdu language in Pakistan and India.
*[[Raheel Sharif]] – former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan.
*[[Prem Chandra Dhanda]] – Indian physician. 
*[[Asif Saeed Khan Khosa]] – Pakistani jurist who served as the 26th chief justice of Pakistan from 18 January 2019 to 20 December 2019.
*[[Hamid Gul]] – former Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, between 1987 and 1989.
*[[Tariq Jamil]] – Pakistani Islamic television preacher, religious writer, [[Ulama|scholar]], and a member of the [[Tablighi Jamaat]].
*[[Ashfaq Ahmed]] – Pakistani intellectual, playwright, and broadcaster, awarded the [[President of Pakistan|President's]] [[Pride of Performance]] and [[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] for his services in the field of literature.
*[[Bilal U. Haq]] – naturalist, geoscientist and poet, France's ''Prestwich Prize'' laureate in geology, inducted in the European Academy of Science and Letters. Recipient of the International Distinguished Career Award from the Geological Society of America, the Ocean Sciences Award from the American Geophysical Union, the Francis Shepard Medal in Marine Geology, the Antarctic Medal from the US National Science Foundation, and honoured by his peers by the naming of a fossil genus and species after him. 
*[[Javed Iqbal (judge)|Senior Justice Javed Iqbal]] – son of Dr Muhammad Iqbal; had a prolific career in the [[judiciary of Pakistan]]
*[[Amjad Siddique]] – Pakistani former [[first-class cricketer]] who played for [[Water and Power Development Authority cricket team]] (WAPDA cricket team), including some time as captain
*[[Rameez Raja]] – Pakistani former [[cricketer]], [[Sports commentator|commentator]] and a former chairman of the [[Pakistan Cricket Board]].
*[[Iqrar Ul Hassan]] – TV presenter and investigative reporter of [[ARY News]]. He hosts a famous program "Sar-e-Aam".
*[[Ismat Beg]] (PhD, [[University of Bucharest|Bucharest]]) – mathematician, known for his work on [[Multiple-criteria decision analysis]] and [[fixed point (mathematics)]]
*[[Hadiqa Kiani]] – Pakistani singer.
*[[Aftab Iqbal]] – TV anchor and journalist.
*[[Javed Ahmad Ghamidi]] – Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist.
*[[Rehan Butt]] – former international [[field hockey]] player and captain of Pakistan team who represented Pakistan from 2002 to 2012.
*[[Bilal Zafar]] – Pakistan army officer
*[[Farid Ahmad Khan]] - Pakistani doctor and plastic surgeon who served as chairman and dean of Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex from 2015 to 2018, and Registrar of [[King Edward Medical University]] from 2011 to 2015.
*[[Amjad Saqib]] - He promotes self-reliance and community support, earning global recognition, including the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] in 2021. 

== In popular culture ==
"The Last Follower and The Resurrection of Voldemort" is Pakistan'[[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]<nowiki/>movie, and it was filmed at GCU, which served as [[Hogwarts]] in the film. The film is produced by a group of young [[List of Ravians|Ravians]] which laid the foundation of the annual [[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]] Festival at GCU.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=The Newspaper's Staff |date=2020-03-08 |title=GCU students' Harry Potter film screened |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1539175 |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==

*[[List of Ravians]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://gcu.edu.pk}} of Government College University 

{{The Mall, Lahore}}
{{Lahore Colleges}}
{{Engineering universities in Pakistan}}
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[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Academic institutions in Pakistan]]
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