Written by by Dr. Jonathan Addleton – FCCU Rector

Forman’s Department of Psychology launched its First International Conference on Psychology focused on “Innovative, Futuristic and Ethical Practices in Psychology”, setting the stage for three days of presentations and discussions involving dozens of original papers. As Vice Rector Dr. Douglas Trimble noted in his introduction to the conference, psychology has long been taught at Forman. In fact, this year marks a special milestone — the 100th anniversary of Forman’s offering Bachelor degrees in the discipline.

Not surprisingly, an event of this size and magnitude involves a large core committee that included Dr. Ivan Suneel (Department Head) and Dr. Sarah Shahed (Conference Secretary) as well as Dr. Abia Nazim, Dr. Afshi Khan, Aisha Ateeq, Dr. Elizabeth Schwaiger, Nazia Asif, Rehan Sohail, Dr. Saima Majeed, Umer Chaudhry and Dr. Uzma Ashiq. Other faculty and staff who worked hard to make the conference happen include Easha Shahid, Mahnoor Ali, Khola Tahir, Alina Sajid, Dr. Shaista Jabeen and Haroon Sabir.

Separate from the conference, the Psychology Department organized a program titled Breaking Stigmas: Raising Awareness About Mental Health that featured videos prepared by undergraduates to shed light on the realities of mental health concerns while also encouraging a culture of openness and acceptance.

Somewhat related, Forman’s Campus Counseling Center introduced a series of Group Therapy sessions on May 13 to address Anxiety Management and Emotional Regulation concerns. As described by the organizers, such sessions “provide a supportive environment where participants can share their personal growth experiences, gain valuable insight, and learn coping strategies from both professional facilitators and peers facing similar challenges”.

Forman’s Department of Mass Communication sponsored several events in May that further highlighted our continuing and very productive partnership with Metropolitan University in Oslo, Norway. In particular, this included a Journalists Safety Training Workshop and a Climate Journalism Workshop to which faculty and students from other universities were also invited.

Forman’s Geography Department sponsored a talk on May 15 on Changing Climate and its Impact on Tourism delivered by Yasir Usman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Government College University. Also, on May 6 the department organized an introductory talk on Geospatial Technology featuring Ahsan Iqbal. Finally, the Geography Department arranged for an interactive session on Air Quality facilitated by Dr. Sahar Zia, Assistant Professor at the Lahore College for Women University.

Forman’s Earth Watch Club organized a seminar on May 24 titled Breaking Ground on Sustainability: The Cement Industry’s Role in Decarbonization with Dr. Arif Bashir from DG Cement serving as guest speaker.

Forman’s Benade Physics Society hosted a talk on NASA’s Artemis program titled Return to the Moon and Onwards to Mars delivered by Mansoor Ahmed, recently retired from the Goddard Space Flight Center where he served as Associate Director in the Astrophysics Projects Division.

Forman’s English Department hosted several events including a series of lectures on Science Fiction that concluded with Dr. Sobia Kiran from York University in Canada speaking on the Origins and Evolution of South Asian Science Fiction. More than 200 people participated including many who joined online from other universities in Pakistan, India, Spain, Turkey and the UK.

Another highlight was the Third Annual Forman Literary Festival, hosted by the Ewing English Society and held on May 8-9. As Forman’s Dean of Humanities Dr. Altaf Ullah Khan noted, “Literature gives meaning to life. It also brings the human out of us”. Let me express special thanks to the many people who made this event possible including Dr. Fatima Syeda as well as Ewing English Society President Mr. Irfan, Vice President Mr. Umair and Faculty Advisor Naomi Justin, among others.

In addition, the Ewing English Society hosted a lecture by Dr. Ayesha Jalal on May 23 titled History and Literary Imagination. I happily attended this talk, in part because Dr. Jalal is on the faculty of my alma mater, Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Both Fiona and I participated in the Polyglot event, organized by Forman’s Center for Language Development and headed by Uzma Khan. The program included a variety of performances delivered by students and faculty in all four languages taught at Forman (French, German, Korean and Chinese). As I observed, the passages from the Qu’ran and the Bible, read at the start of the event in Arabic, English, Chinese and Korean, were especially timely, speaking directly to the occasion: “And of His signs is . . . the diversity of your languages and colors” (taken from Surah Rum) and “If I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner” (taken from I Corinthians 14)!

Forman’s School of Management in partnership with The Leadership Forum and Young Entrepreneurial Platform organized a program on Empowering Students: Paths to Financial Independence on May 13. Among other things, the seminar aimed to equip students with the knowledge and tools needed to foster financial independence and responsibility.

Associate Professor Dr. Hira Khalid from Forman’s Chemistry Department was featured on a Fulbright Women Podcast, providing an opportunity for her to reflect on her experience in the United States. Having received a Fulbright Fellowship in 2021, she was also asked to discuss her academic journey including the inspiration behind her passion for science and the challenges that she has faced as a female scientist in Pakistan: https://youtu.be/udi76yY3yxU?si=M2O_RK28dmfXWiZ5. Meanwhile, Irtifa Nasir, Assistant Professor in Forman’s School of Management, was interviewed by NEO TV on April 30.

Forman’s Population Research Center (PRC) organized a one-day workshop on data management for FCCU students on May 25 with Dr. Sharoon Hanook, Professor in the Assistant Statistics Department, serving as facilitator.

Forman’s Center for Public Policy and Governance (CPPG) hosted several outstanding programs during May including a presentation by retired General Noel Kokhar, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to Ukraine, based on his recent monograph titled National Commission for Minorities Act 2023: An Expectation for a Better Tomorrow. Former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani presided over the wellattended session as Chief Guest. Both General Kokhar and Chief Justice Jilani are Forman graduates.

CPPG also hosted the launch of Dr. Sara Rizvi Jafree’s pioneering book Social Policy for Women in Pakistan (Palgrave 2023), with Dr. Asghar Zaidi, former Vice Chancellor of Government College University, serving as Guest of Honor. A few days later, CPPG presented the launch of the latest edition of Dr. Sikandar Hayat’s book Leadership Odyssey (Oxford University Press, 2023), with Dr. Umber and Dr. Bangash serving as discussants. I was privileged to speak at both events.

Thanking you for an incredible 2023! Happy New Year, dear Friend of Forman Christian College!

Executive Director Roger Dermody shares this short video from campus for YOU.

Your support of students at FCCU carried us beyond our triple match goal!
Thanks to you, $77,127 was raised for much needed student scholarships.
Your generosity makes stories like these possible:

This year, your gifts and prayers gave hope to all in the Forman Christian College community. Today is Thanksgiving and we are thankful for so much, but topping this list is you.

From our Friends of Forman family to you and yours!

Dear Friends,

As I complete my first year serving Friends of Forman Christian College, I am filled with joy and hope.

It has been a joy to meet so many of you, our faithful partners, who have generously supported this vital mission’s ongoing work.

It has been a joy to have visited campus on three separate trips these past 12 months, seeing first-hand the impact you have made in the lives of so many in Pakistan.

And, as I’ve spent time on campus interacting with students, faculty, and staff, I’m filled with hope. I have often referred to Forman as a slice of God’s Kingdom on earth. The Forman motto from Galatians 5:13, “By love serve one another,” is far more than a mere platitude or an ignored phrase. Instead, it is deeply embodied and lived daily, making Forman a true place of peace, tolerance, harmony, and hope.

Included in this communication is our most recent Annual Report. We have faithfully and transparently shared how we used the resources you entrusted to us and the impact you made in the past year.

We have also highlighted brief comments from those whose lives have been transformed because of your generosity.

Together, we equip future Christian leaders as they grow in their faith and become ready to live out the claims of Christ in the majority society in ways that otherwise would be impossible.

Together we empower young women, providing opportunity and education in an environment of respect and dignity that is unique in much of the Muslim world.

Together we are breaking the cycle of generational poverty by providing scholarships to any student who has great potential for academic success yet who lacks the financial means to realize their dreams.

Also, we celebrate the many Forman graduates who have risen to leadership in every sector of society, including government, education, military, and business. Graduating from FCCU and becoming a “Formanite” makes it far easier to find employment, opening doors thanks to the incredible reputation of this University.

As you read this Annual Report, I want to ask you for two things. First, please continue to pray that God will bless this vital mission and all within the university walls. Second, please support Forman financially so that even more students will experience what I’ve described above.

Thank you once again for your generosity to Forman Christian College. May God bless you and bless this work in Pakistan.

Click here or on the photo to download your digital copy of the 2023 Annual Report.

With appreciation,

Rev. Dr. Roger A. Dermody
Executive Director
Friends of Forman
Christian College

Dear Friends,

Have you ever heard a story that is so compelling you can’t wait to share it? During a recent trip to campus, I had the chance to not only hear such a story, but to experience it when I met a young student named Haroon. He is one of the students you have helped this year.

His story is so compelling.

Haroon lives in a remote rural village several hours north of Lahore. His home is down a narrow dirt alley with open sewage channels on either side.

Haroon’s father used to work in the nearby brick kilns until a motorcycle accident left him with a broken leg that never healed correctly. During the year when his father could not work, Haroon and his brothers worked in the nearby rice fields with their mother, simply trying to earn enough to feed the family.

Haroon’s dad never attended even one day of school. Haroon’s mother completed her education in third grade. Haroon, however, has excelled in school and is the only person from his village to ever go to a university.

The family ushered us inside their one-room home. They served us tea, and we talked together while the rest of the neighbors tried valiantly to get a glimpse inside through the crowded doorway.

Thanks to the scholarships you provide through Friends of Forman, Haroon’s prospects are infinitely better than they would have been otherwise. Not only are Haroon’s and his family’s prospects better, but he is a living symbol of hope and opportunity for his entire village. And there are thousands of villages like his in Pakistan, each with a Haroon.

After more fellowship and praying for Haroon and his family, we departed – humbled by the hospitality but compelled to share his story and do all we could to help more like him.

Enclosed is our Spring Newsletter celebrating last month’s dedication of the Jim Tebbe Campus Center and the renaming of Hope Tower to Cheryl Burke Hope Tower. These honors are well-deserved, as both Jim and Cheryl made multiple contributions to the life of Forman and its students.

Your generous gifts to Friends of Forman are helping students just like Haroon, offering hope and making God’s love visible in Pakistan.

Click here or on the photo to download your digital copy of the 2023 Spring Newsletter.

With appreciation,

Rev. Dr. Roger A. Dermody
Executive Director
Friends of Forman
Christian College