The University of Gujrat( Urdu: ﯾﻮﻧﯿﻮﺭﺳﭩﯽ ﺁﻑ ﮔﺠﺮﺍﺕ) is one of the new major public sector universities in Punjab. The university was established under Act IX of 2004 by Government of Punjab, Pakistan [3] on 23 February 2004 to cater for the higher education needs of the population of Central Punjab which includes districts of Gujrat , Sialkot and
Gujranwala in addition to cities of
Wazirabad and Jhelum . These districts are popularly known as the Export Triangle of Pakistan due to various manufacturing industries operating in the area. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898) founder of Aligarh Muslim University had named the region around Gujrat as "Khita-e-Younan", or "territory resembling ancient Greece", in reference to the high number of educational institutes present in the area in the 19th century. The University is promoting research and development culture in the area. A large number of students from Bhimber Azad Kashmir also study in the university.
The Main Campus has been named after a local Sufi saint Hafiz Muhammad Hayat. Situated prominently in the University of Gujrat campus, the shrine of Hafiz Hayat is an exquisite complex in terms of its architecture, site planning and landscape design. It is located on a mound six feet high above the Terre plain. The site contains a haveli, summerhouse (baradari), mosque, four tombs of varying dimensions, several graves, seven wells and numerous old trees. The mound on which the construction was carried out belonged to the Raja Kaladhvi and was surrounded by a dense forest at that time. Hafiz Hayat settled in the area and helped people with his spiritual charisma. Although the exact dates are not known yet according to popular belief it was at the time of Emperor Jahangir . The saint donated his entire land holding to the then state authorities for the cause of education. The main campus of UOG has been constructed on that very land donated by Hafiz Muhammad Hayat. [4]
History
The creation of the University of Gujrat was the brainchild of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who was chief minister of Punjab from 2002 to 2007. [5] Professor Dr. Muhammad Nizamuddin was the previous Vice-Chancellor of University of Gujrat. He was awarded the "Nineteenth Star Award 2008" and selected as the "Man of the Year 2008" in the field of education in recognition of his outstanding achievements. The award ascribing agency, South Asia Publications also included the name of Vice-Chancellor in the list of "Who's Who in Pakistan 2008." [6] Present Vice Chancellor of the University of Gujrat is
Professor Dr. Zia-ul Qayum