| Saturday, October 04, 2008 |
SOFTEC 2008 Opening Ceremony Speech |
There were lots of RSVP smsz on the event day.Some of the friends were out of the country.Some in different cities of this beloved land and yeah some lot was busy in their daily routine work.Moreover, SOFTEC 2008 team members were also busy organizing their respective events.They were anxious to know what i spoke at the Opening and the Closing Ceremony and whether i fired harsh words at the FAST-NU Administration or not :) .Thus, i am reproducing my opening and closing ceremony speeches for them.
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SOFTEC 2008 Opening Ceremony (Morning, August 30, 2008)
“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time”
Honourable Chief Guest, Director, Faculty, participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalam-o-Alaikum!
I would like to welcome you all to the 4th international and 13th annual SOFTware Exhibition and Competition, PTCL SOFTEC 2008! Progressing from a small, national competition to mega international event for people of all ages, SOFTEC over the years has evolved into a platform for some of the most creative minds of the country, and in recent years, the world. In this respect, SOFTEC 2008 aims to eclipse previous years’ events by reaching new standards of excellence, creativity and hospitality.
The world today is changing around us. We are dependent on technology in ways we don’t even realize. Machines have pervaded our lives to such an extent that it is impossible to imagine life without them. As the world shrinks around us, information travels around the world at ever increasing rates. The role of Information Technology takes on ever greater significance, and it is fitting that the leading I.T. University in the country plays host to the largest technological event in the country.
When my team and I were handed over the society, work on SOFTEC 2008 began in earnest. Dreams were dreamt, plans were made and a general air of enthusiasm existed which was evident for all to see in the way the entire team set about their tasks with zest. But it is a sign of the fragility of our times that postponements and the threat of cancellation became the norm. Security threats were all around, with a general air of uncertainty existing that hindered attempts to pull the event together. Participants were afraid of traveling, sponsors were being cautious and there was an overall resistance to SOFTEC 2008 being held in such an atmosphere. The future looked dark for SOFTEC.
But it is the hour before dawn that the night seems darkest. And so it was for SOFTEC. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost and cancellation seemed the most likely possibility, decisions were made. Resignations were given, appointments were made, and it was decided that the show must go on. That was the time that team members stood up to be counted. Jobs, commitments and classes – all went along with preparations for SOFTEC, and when I tell you that the campus was only handed over to the management team at 8 P.M. last night, you will soon see for yourself the stupendous effort that has gone into preparing this event.
It is here then that I would like to offer my deepest and sincerest thanks to all those team members who quite literally burned the midnight oil in preparation for this event. I would like to thank our Event Partners [PTCL & PITB] Media Partners [Geo, Jang Group of Newspapers, FM91], Redmath and all other sponsors, the participants, and in particular the administration, without whose support it would not have been possible to organize such an extravaganza.
I am also thankful to the High Commission of Pakistan in India & Bangladesh as well the Embassy of Pakistan in Iran for issuing visas to our student delegates.
A little on the theme for this year’s SOFTEC before I end. Innovation is the heart and soul of every idea, every person that plans to be a success. The need to be something different, to do something totally original, to stray from the beaten track – that is the vision for SOFTEC 2008. Who knows, a decade on it might be one of the ideas you see here that will revolutionize the world. Thus it is not about winning – it is about dreaming, daring to try, that matters here at SOFTEC. Come, join us in inspiring innovation at SOFTEC 2008!
Thank You!
____________________________________________________________________
SOFTEC 2008 Opening Ceremony (Morning, August 30, 2008)
“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time”
Honourable Chief Guest, Director, Faculty, participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalam-o-Alaikum!
I would like to welcome you all to the 4th international and 13th annual SOFTware Exhibition and Competition, PTCL SOFTEC 2008! Progressing from a small, national competition to mega international event for people of all ages, SOFTEC over the years has evolved into a platform for some of the most creative minds of the country, and in recent years, the world. In this respect, SOFTEC 2008 aims to eclipse previous years’ events by reaching new standards of excellence, creativity and hospitality.
The world today is changing around us. We are dependent on technology in ways we don’t even realize. Machines have pervaded our lives to such an extent that it is impossible to imagine life without them. As the world shrinks around us, information travels around the world at ever increasing rates. The role of Information Technology takes on ever greater significance, and it is fitting that the leading I.T. University in the country plays host to the largest technological event in the country.
When my team and I were handed over the society, work on SOFTEC 2008 began in earnest. Dreams were dreamt, plans were made and a general air of enthusiasm existed which was evident for all to see in the way the entire team set about their tasks with zest. But it is a sign of the fragility of our times that postponements and the threat of cancellation became the norm. Security threats were all around, with a general air of uncertainty existing that hindered attempts to pull the event together. Participants were afraid of traveling, sponsors were being cautious and there was an overall resistance to SOFTEC 2008 being held in such an atmosphere. The future looked dark for SOFTEC.
But it is the hour before dawn that the night seems darkest. And so it was for SOFTEC. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost and cancellation seemed the most likely possibility, decisions were made. Resignations were given, appointments were made, and it was decided that the show must go on. That was the time that team members stood up to be counted. Jobs, commitments and classes – all went along with preparations for SOFTEC, and when I tell you that the campus was only handed over to the management team at 8 P.M. last night, you will soon see for yourself the stupendous effort that has gone into preparing this event.
It is here then that I would like to offer my deepest and sincerest thanks to all those team members who quite literally burned the midnight oil in preparation for this event. I would like to thank our Event Partners [PTCL & PITB] Media Partners [Geo, Jang Group of Newspapers, FM91], Redmath and all other sponsors, the participants, and in particular the administration, without whose support it would not have been possible to organize such an extravaganza.
I am also thankful to the High Commission of Pakistan in India & Bangladesh as well the Embassy of Pakistan in Iran for issuing visas to our student delegates.
A little on the theme for this year’s SOFTEC before I end. Innovation is the heart and soul of every idea, every person that plans to be a success. The need to be something different, to do something totally original, to stray from the beaten track – that is the vision for SOFTEC 2008. Who knows, a decade on it might be one of the ideas you see here that will revolutionize the world. Thus it is not about winning – it is about dreaming, daring to try, that matters here at SOFTEC. Come, join us in inspiring innovation at SOFTEC 2008!
Thank You!
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