The Department of English at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) marked a significant milestone with its International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence (AI): Bridging Language, Literature, and Learning in the Digital Age held on January 31, 2025. The event, hosted in FCCU’s state-of-the-art facilities, brought together luminaries, scholars, and students to explore the intersection of AI and literary and linguistic studies, redefining the future of education, research, and cross-cultural engagement including national and international keynote speakers.

The symposium, themed “Navigating the Nexus of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Rethinking Language, Literature, and Education in a Digital Era,” was a resounding success. It highlighted AI’s transformative impact on traditional paradigms, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to address opportunities and challenges. Esteemed keynote speakers, including Dr. Reham Hosny from University of Cambridge, UK,  Dr. Manvender Kaur Sarjit Singh from the University Utara Malaysia and Prof. Dr. Ayaz Afsar (IIUI), Dr. Sonia Irum (IIUI), Dr. Zahid (UOL), Dr. Khalid Mahmood (IIUI) and Dr. Fatima Sayeda (FCCU), shared profound insights into how AI is reshaping English literature and linguistics studies. The discussions juxtaposed revitalized traditions like digitized archival systems with innovations such as multimodal textuality and algorithmic text generation.

In a complementary showcase of student creativity, the Students’ Digital Exhibit brought the event’s academic discussions to life. This exhibit featured groundbreaking projects by FCCU students, blending language, literature, and digital oral history, artistry to demonstrate the practical integration of AI-driven tools in literature and linguistics. The exhibit served as a vibrant testament to the department’s dedication to fostering innovative, hands-on learning experiences.

Prof. Dr. Fatima Syeda, Chairperson of the Department of English, expressed immense pride in the event’s outcomes. She emphasized that this dual initiative not only set a benchmark for academic excellence but also positioned FCCU as a pioneer in integrating AI within literature & linguistics in Pakistan. Dr. Syeda thanked the Dean’s Office for their generous financial support for this event.

The symposium’s convener, Mr. Adeel Khalid, described the event as a transformative moment for FCCU: “Our goal was to bridge traditional humanities with cutting-edge AI technologies, and the overwhelming response from attendees, both locally and internationally, confirms that we are on the right path.” He also thanked all the participants and attendees including the FCCU Rector Dr. Jonathan S. Addleton, Vice-Rector Dr. Douglas Trimble, and other guests from various institutions of Lahore.

The Dean of Humanities Dr. Altaf Ullah Khan praised this event’s relevance in examining how AI is reshaping traditional paradigms in all walks of fields and that it is important to redefine pedagogical approaches and contribute to the sustainable development of the humanities.

The success of the symposium and exhibit marks a landmark achievement for FCCU’s Department of English, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, academic excellence, and impactful education.

Dear Freshmen,

Congratulations on becoming a part of Forman Christian College University! We are very proud to have you on board. We are certain that the next four years of your life will be exciting, rewarding, and full of amazing growth.

In order to make your experience memorable, we want to know more about you: Your hopes and expectations from the university, your needs, values, and your future goals. The information you provide will help us to refine and improve the educational experience here at FCCU. It will also give us your feedback regarding the overall admissions process.

Your participation in the study is completely voluntary, however 05 lucky winners will receive FCCU gift bags. Your decision to volunteer or not, or to refuse to answer particular questions, will not affect your relationship with the researchers, FCCU, or any other group associated with this project.

Your confidentiality will be maintained. Individual data will not be shared with anyone.

Please click the following link and complete the survey online (should take about 12-14 minutes):

http://bit.ly/4hoI1OS

Your response by Friday, February 14, 2025, would be greatly appreciated!

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact: Ms. Sarah Suleman, Head of QEC at qec@fccollege.edu.pk

Thank you for your time in completing this survey!

The 4th International Conference on Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences: Innovation to Commercialization’ from January 22-24. 2025 was organized by the Department of Chemistry. The conference was envisaged to highlight the problems presently faced by everyone in everyday life which relate to healthcare, energy, food safety and security, global warming and its effects and the environment. The title of the international conference rightly emphasized the need to address the problems associated with them for sustainable living. An important aspect of the conference was to highlight the role of industry as a partner in the effort to find solutions of the problems. The conference also brought forth national effort in research in the important areas and provided a platform for researchers to discuss and exchange views. Foreign invited speakers from the USA, Mexico, Turkiye, China, Malaysia and Morocco presented an in-depth analysis of the work (research) that is in progress in their keynote lectures. Talks of the national invited speakers from the QAU, COMSATS, LUMS, HEJ, UET and FCCU revealed the potential that exists in research in the country which can further be developed with government support. Two workshops were a part of this conference. First one was conducted by American Chemical Society Pakistan Chapter. The topics covered were publishing research and entrepreneurship.  Whereas the second one was conducted at the end of the conference on January 25, 2025 by Dr. J. Antonio Torres on “Probabilistic Design for Food Products: Optimizing Process, Package, and Storage Conditions and Food Safety” which was largely attended by the students.

The conference has been a great success in terms of arrangements and academic significance of the event. Participants admired the scenic beauty of the campus and appreciated the academic atmosphere of the FCCU. It provided rich experience for our students who enthusiastically participated in every aspect of the conference. A sightseeing trip of the city of Lahore’s historical sites and gala dinner were the other hallmarks of the conference.

Forman Christian College had a grand occasion of the 100th anniversary of its geography department on December 9, 2024, with the theme “Mapping a Century: 100 Years of Geography 1924-2024.” The highlight was the panel discussion on the evolution of geography, which included academics like Prof. Dr. Safdar Ali Shirazi and Dr. Salman Qureshi. Dr. Jonathan Addleton was the chief guest and Dr. Sikandar Hayat graced the event and cut the cake that represented the department’s accomplishments.

Insightful alumni testimonies, a history documentary, and statements of hope for the department’s future were also featured at the event. The occasion emphasized the department’s history and critical role in societal influence and worldwide education.

Event Proceeding-100 years of Geography at FCCU

On January 25, 2025, the Department of Chemistry hosted a one-day workshop featuring hands-on training on “Probabilistic Design for Food Products: Optimizing Processes, Packaging, Storage Conditions, and Food Safety.” The workshop was led by Dr. J. Antonio Torres, Distinguished International Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. Dr. Torres is also the Chief Editor of CYTA-Journal of Food (Taylor & Francis) and Editor of Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies (IFSET, Elsevier).

The workshop’s key objectives included introducing Probabilistic Design, optimizing food processes, packaging, and storage, and providing practical experience in applying probabilistic methods using statistical models and simulations.