In today's world the digital divide is the knowledge divide,' this was stated by Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Federal Minister, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology while addressing to the 4th Convocation of the International Islamic University, Islamabad held here on Sunday at Convention Center, Islamabad as Guest of Honour.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said that today's world is different from the world a few decades ago, where to march ahead country's were investing in knowledge economy instead of relying on their wealth of natural resources.
Success stories included Jordan and Malaysia who having realised that the youth were their wealth are investing in education to ensure that they are not relegated to poor and dependent nations. Malaysia, he continued invests 25 percent of its GDP in education.
Professor Atta outlined eloquently the manner in which Pakistan too was set on the path to development. He emphasised the difference between college and university where the former transfers knowledge from teacher to student while a university creates knowledge, being a seat of creativity. Universities, he continued are always ranked on their impact factor, which included, journals that published new discoveries, Ph.D research which presented new concepts and award of international prizes and grants that the university was able to achieve.
He further stated that the factors also stressed that universities should act as pools of creativity and he called on the faculty to ignite and inspire students not only to work for degrees but enjoy acquiring knowledge and apply it in their lives. This he said, was the true spirit and essence of Islam whose application could rid Muslim society of the problems that afflict it.
He reminded the audience that not a single Pakistani university ranked in the first thousand universities of the world. But the Higher Education Commission was endeavouring to change the hither to pathetic state of higher education by offering fully funded scholarships to students to study abroad.
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