UoG board stresses practical research, approves AI disclosure for scholars

The 28th meeting of the Advanced Studies and Research Board (AS&RB) of the University of Gujrat (UoG) was held at the Hafiz Hayat Campus

GUJRAT:  The 28th meeting of the Advanced Studies and Research Board (AS&RB) of the University of Gujrat (UoG) was held at the Hafiz Hayat Campus, where members stressed the need for research focused on innovation, practical solutions and contemporary challenges.

The meeting was chaired by UoG Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zahoor Ul Haq, who said national and economic development was closely linked to research, innovation, creativity and productive outcomes.
He urged postgraduate scholars and their supervisors to carefully select research topics and ensure that their work resulted in quality products or practical solutions that could benefit society and make people’s lives easier.

The vice chancellor said conducting advanced research on outdated or obsolete topics in the contemporary era amounted to a waste of time. He also emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary research, saying collaboration across different academic fields could produce more meaningful and effective results.

Deputy Registrar AS&RB Sarwat Khursheed facilitated the proceedings.
The board reviewed postgraduate academic and research programmes being offered by various departments and discussed measures to improve their quality. Members also considered recommendations and the agenda approved during the 27th meeting before taking up matters listed for the current session.

A significant decision was taken regarding the growing use of artificial intelligence in education and research. The board decided that students would be required to submit an AI Disclosure Certificate along with their research papers.
The measure is aimed at ensuring transparency about the use of AI in academic work and helping evaluators assess and recognise students’ own research contributions.
The board also approved amendments to the AS&RB Rules and Regulations 2025 and held detailed discussions on postgraduate procedures at the PhD level. The members considered possible changes aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of doctoral education.

During the meeting, PhD and MPhil scholars from different departments presented their proposed research topics and brief overviews of their studies before the board.
The AS&RB is responsible for developing strategies for postgraduate programmes, including PhD, MPhil, MS and LLM, besides reviewing research activities and academic programmes. It also considers recommendations concerning research theses and guides postgraduate students in improving the quality and scope of their research.

The newly elected board members attending the meeting included Prof Dr Muhammad Usman, Prof Dr Bushra Akram, Dr Fayyaz Majeed, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Rai, Dr Muhammad Yousaf, Dr Naeem Abbas Kalair, Prof Dr Muhammad Gulfraz Abbasi, Prof Dr Nighat Nahid, Registrar Muhammad Naeem Butt, Faculty Dean Prof Dr Zahid Yousaf, Prof Dr Faisal Mahmood Mirza, Prof Dr Adil Rashid and Director FADFA Muhammad Asif Sharif.

The members participated in the meeting both physically and online.