Lahore (Qasim Ali)
Prof. Sajida Haider Vandal, former Vice Chancellor Institute for Art and Culture and Principal of National College of the Arts, currently CEO THAAP has been awarded with another prestigious medal “The Rank of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters” by the French Government. This Award follows the earlier “Knight of Arts and Letters” which was conferred on Prof. Vandal in 2018. This decoration, which is one of the main distinctions of the ministerial orders of the French Republic, recognizes Prof. Vandal’s commitment to the Pakistani culture and bilateral cooperation between France and Pakistan.
The Ambassador of France to Pakistan His Excellency Mr. Nicolas Galey exclusively visited the THAAP secretariat to confer the coveted medal to Prof. Sajida Haider on Sunday evening. The ceremony was attended by prominent personalities from different walks of life. His Excellency the Ambassador Mr. Nicolas Galey states: Today, France wishes to pay tribute to your dedication as an architect, urbanist and educationist and to your contribution to the cultural life of the city of Lahore, as well as to your attachment to France and French culture.
Prof. Sajida Vandal was nominated by the French Embassy and Ambassador of France for this award. Established through the decree of May 2, 1957, the Order of Arts and Letters aims to recognize personalities who have distinguished themselves by their creation in the artistic or literary fields or by the contribution they have made to the influence of the Arts and Letters in France and around the world. Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.
Prof. Sajida Vandal thanked the French government and ambassador H.E Mr. Nicolas Galey for the conferring the award. She vowed to continue her work for heritage preservation and to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and France.
