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Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has underlined the need of a paradigm shift from being just the users of technologies to becoming the producers of technologies, goods, and services. Addressing a function of COMSAT here on Monday, Gilani said that for this to happen would really require an all-embracing effort by all the stakeholders responsible for education, research and development. He said that the in spite of numerous other competing demands."
In this regard, the prime minister said, the universities will need to prepare their students appropriately and equip them with the most relevant skill-sets, suitable for the modern market place. He said that research scientists will need to come up with innovative research and development projects geared toward creating socio-economic impact; and industry will need to develop active and meaningful linkages with universities so that lab research can be turned into commercially viable products. Gilani claimed that his government is doing its utmost to make the dream a reality and I am fully convinced that our future lies in developing and harnessing newer technologies.
He said that universities were required to tackle the major scientific, economic and social challenges that lie ahead in order to give new meaning to the formidable volume of knowledge, the information overload, and innovations. He has said that the world in general and the Muslim countries in particular is suffering from dwindling natural resources, as water is becoming scarce; fossil fuel is fast diminishing; energy is becoming very expensive, while demand for its use is increasing constantly.
He said that the environment has been badly threatened; ozone cover is depleting; world's eco-systems are spinning out of control; population is growing uncontrollably; and quality of air is drastically deteriorating due to which many of the basic human needs like clean drinking water, food security and basic health care are not available to almost half of the Muslim Ummah. He said that even though Muslims constituted almost one quarter of the world's population and possess almost half of the world's total mineral and energy resources, their share in the world's GDP was less than 12 percent.
Gilani said that Muslims have not yet fully grasped the true meaning of knowledge economy, knowledge society and knowledge workers and we will have to invest in human resource development through investment in education at all levels to address the aforementioned issues. Three basic ingredients in realising any goal are: a firm commitment; a well defined road-map; and investment of appropriate resources and that all of these parameters are being met in my government, as we are continuously increasing the investment in education and research and will continue to do so in years ahead, he maintained.
He said that time reached to start thinking about finding solutions to our own problems, so that we as Muslims may, some day, stand shoulder to shoulder with the developed world. Appreciating the Forum, he said that it was the most appropriate platform is to deliberate upon numerous challenges and to propose the best possible and practical solutions to pull ourselves out of the current problems because some best brains and intellectual have come from across the Muslim world to participate.
Gilani said that the challenges are numerous and are quite daunting as well and none of us can single-handedly tackle these challenges. It is, he said, therefore, imperative that we all work together in the spirit of sincere co-operation to overcome our problems and provide a much better, and prosperous life to our people. "I would be very eagerly looking forward to the outcome of your two-day deliberations and the action plans, which I would be very happy to share with the concerned Ministries within the Government of Pakistan as well as with the leadership of your respective countries," he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

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