Government Degree College Mingora, Swat
Udhyana, the present-day Swat, remained a great seat of learning and civilization in the ancient times. The people of Swat boast to be the first who developed their state by adopting the self-help approach. After it was ruled for several years by the Sayyads---the ahlul bayt or descendants of the Holy Prophet (SAWS)---- for several years, the people of Swat
nominated Miangul Abdul Wadood (Bacha Sahib) as the king of Swat in 1917. Bacha Sahib was was succeeded by his son Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb (Wali Sahib) in 1949. Adopting the self-help approach, Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb took the state of Swat to its zenith in development. He established a network of schools and colleges across the state. The buildings the late ruler of Swat constructed in rural as well as urban parts of Swat for imparting education still shine as his achievements. However, as time passed, the growing demand for higher education could not be met by the existing colleges in the valley. Keeping this demand in view, the Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa established Government Degree College Mingora Swat in 1995. The college was shifted to the city of Mingora in 1997. Initially, the college catered for the needs of the students at degree level only. The intermediate classes were started in 1998 while the B.Sc. Computer Science classes were started in the college in 2001. The objectives of GDC Mingora Swat are to impart quality education that would help in producing disciplined citizens and to develop various positive aspects of their personality with particular emphasis on character building in order to enable them to become responsible citizens. Government Degree College Mingora Swat, run by a committed team of the well-known teachers, has an academic atmosphere where the students are provided with a congenial environment for learning. With the aim to nourish the minds of the youth enrolled in the college, the participatory teaching methodology is adopted in the classrooms. The college believes in effective communication between the college staff, students and parents. Parents of the students of the college are frequently contacted and informed about the academic growth and gaps pertaining to their children. Government Degree College Mingora Swat is one of the few topmost centers of quality higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. In attaining this glorious position, the college is indebted to the team work and commitment of the well-known educationists who remained its principals during different periods of time. Abdul Wadood, the renowned educationist and teacher of Swat, was the first principal of the college, who was followed by another stalwart of the valley, Prof. Javaid Iqbal, as the second principal of the college. Abdul Wadood and Prof. Javaid Iqbal, the college also owes its position to the contributions of Prof. Dr. Mian Said Wahid (September 1, 2003 to September 22, 2004), Prof. Zarin Muhammad (October 1, 2005 to July 10, 2006), Prof. Muhammad Iqbal (September 16, 2006 to May 15, 2008), Prof. Khurshid Ashari (June 21, 2008 to August 25, 2009), Prof. Fazali Subhan Afghani (August 26, 2009 to January 9, 2011), Prof. Muhammad Ayaz (May 7, 2011 to October 10, 2011), Prof. Riaz Ahmad ( November 1, 2011 to July 25, 2012), Prof. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad ( July 26, 2012 to June 3, 2015), Prof. Riaz Ahmad (June, 2015 to Febraury, 2017), Prof. Nowsherwan (Febraury, 2017 to March 2019), Prof. Late Mohammad Sultan Ul Arifin (March, 2019 to March, 2020), Prof. Raiz Ahmad (March, 2019 to February, 2021) and Prof. Bakht Muhamamd Khan (Febraury, 2021 to May, 2022)
Since the 1st of June, 2022, the professional and committed team of the college is led by the principal Prof. Jehan Sher, who, besides being a well-known educationist and teacher of English Literature and a Pashto poet, is having experience of senior management in various projects of international organizations, UN agencies like FAO and UNDP and donor agencies like USAID, DFID, SDC and ADB. With the novel focus on confidence-building of the students, Prof. Jehan Sher has been performing his duties with zeal and zest. He has the vision of an educated society and confident youth in Malakand Division and the mission of educating the coming generation in a way that would enable them to compete on the national and global level.
