Setting up of higher learning centres in Islamic world stressed

President of the Pakistan Bankers Association and Union Bank chief Shaukat Tareen on Tuesday made a strong plea for setting up four to five world-class higher learning institutions in economic, banking, engineering, technology and related subjects in the Islamic world so that Muslim students, seeking higher education, do not have to go to MIT and Harvard.
He made the suggestion in the interaction meeting hosted by the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary-general Aqueel Al-Jassem for the visiting World Islamic Economic forum co-chairman Tan Sari Musa Bin Hatim of Malaysia at the ICCI auditorium in Karachi.
Shaukat Tareen said the Islamic countries need to improve facilities for world-class high education and for this resources should be mobilised to establish world-class institutes for Muslim students to acquire best and world-class education.
He said this was possible and must be given attention by the Muslim leaders. He said in the present day world where competition was keen and reaching out was important, opportunities for acquiring world-class education within Islamic countries had to be provided on an urgent basis.
Tan Sri Musa Bin Hatim and ICCI secretary-general Aqueel Al-Jassem welcomed the suggestion and supported its consideration at the coming World Islamic Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur in October.
He also welcomed suggestions made by Shahid Firoz, a well-known economist, for the organisation of interaction among Islamic countries' economists and entrepreneurs to work out projects that would benefit Islamic countries at the bilateral and multilateral basis.
Former Sindh governor Ashraf Tabani urged the need for follow-up actions on decisions taken at OIC conferences and the World Islamic Economic Forum.
UPP and Pictorial News Review managing editor Mahmudul Aziz drew attention to the fact that over a billion dollar went annually to acquisition of western countries newspapers, periodicals and books from Islamic countries and there was a need to address the question of co-operation among Islamic countries' publishers to garner the publishing industry to the need for newspapers, books and magazines. The World Islamic Economic Forum must give attention to this aspect also.
The former Deputy Premier of Malaysia told UPP he was very happy with the visit to Pakistan and the meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He said the support from the ICCI was crucial and he appreciated the work put in by secretary-general Aqueel Al-Jassem. The Malaysian delegation flew back to Kuala Lumpur Tuesday night.