President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday said, "China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project would usher a new era of industrial and technological revolution, prosperity and development in Pakistan." Addressing students of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) of Science and Technology in Topi, he said, "The country has witnessed several challenges and difficulties during the last few decades but now the situation has improved and Pakistan is about to emerge an economically strong nation."
Engineer Shams ul Mulk, Rector GIKI Jehangir Bashar, Executive Director Shakil Durrani and teachers and students were present on the occasion. Since Pakistan's economy is making headway, the President said, "China's support in this regard has made the central Asian region wishful to take full advantage of the situation and share the development with Pakistan."
"The industrial and technological revolution would create several opportunities in the country and it was time to introduce and equip the youth with new techniques' advancements in these sectors, enable them to grab these opportunities," he said. The President stressed on comprehensive planning for promotion of professional and technical education to ascertain and meet the demands to be emerged in near future in different sectors, adding that, "The educational institutes have great responsibility to show in this regard."
He hoped, "GIKI being a best institute of the country would play greatly to promote technical education besides providing guidance how to meet the new advancements that is taking place in technology sector across the world." The President appreciated, 'GIKI was in liaison with best institutes of the world in education and research sectors, and advised the management of GIKI to further extend their scope of association with international universities and institutes so that the students of GIKI could be benefited from the research work of foreign scholars."
"It is my dream that our institutes get world fame by promoting research work and quality education and the students from across the world wish to come Pakistan to get higher education," he said and added that, "GIK and some other institutes have the potential to outshine among best universities and institutes of the world."
The President was happy to note, "The graduates of GIKI easily get jobs within and out of the country on completion of education, which he said was evident of quality education being taught at the institute." He suggested, "An advisory body or applied research centre, comprising senior teaching faculty, deans and representatives of different sections of GIKI should be introduced to review new changes and researches in science and technology sectors and give suggestions to policy makers."
Later, Rector GIK Jehangir Bashar presented souvenir to the President as a memento of his visit to the institute, besides presenting him report of GIKI and its achievements in different disciplines. President Board of Governors Engineer Shamsul Mulk also addressed on the occasion.