The senior vice president of the Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Badar-e-Munir Patel, has suggested the development of a web portal within the LCCI's website which could provide a window where the industries could upload information about their problems and the universities could upload their research work and suggestions on how to improve productivity qualitatively and quantitatively.
Presiding over a meeting held between faculty members of various universities of Balochistan and representatives of the LCCI, he offered the Chamber's platform for developing and strengthening academic-industrial linkages and collaboration. Industry and academia have stressed the need for strong academic-industrial relations in order to have strong linkages with each other related to research and development, innovations and inventions and their commercialisation.
LCCI vice president Anjum Rafatullah Khan, stressed upon a review of the curriculum, research topics and other academic activities not only to produce the graduates which may be directly attached with the industries as well as to cater to future requirements in the background of CPEC.
The speakers from the universities introduced their research work in various sectors and suggested that the industries should set process parameters to ensure competitiveness and sustainability, which is possible if university-industry linkages are strengthen through taking each other on board for problem solving and commercialisation of new innovations and inventions and research-based projects.
They offered the services to the industries for technical problem solving as well as for development of entrepreneurship. The industry representatives expressed their apprehension that time is important for the industries which, due to their academic engagements, the university may not adhere to. They also suggested that the universities conduct need analysis for themselves in order to update their faculty and curriculum to the requirements of commerce, industry and social development, for application of the latest technology and administrative and marketing techniques.
In his concluding remarks, research scholars and faculty members who attended the meeting included: Dr Tariq Kiani of the University of Balochistan in Quetta, Dr Mir Dost, director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Lasbela University of Agriculture and Water Management Sciences (LUAWMS), Uthal; Ganguzar Baloch, deputy registrar of the University of Turbat; Abdul Majid, Incharge of ORIC, University of Turbat; Dr Abdul Basit, University of Balochistan, Quetta; Dr Waseem Asghar Khan, director of ORIC, Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Khuzdar; Dr Waheed Noor, director, ORIC,
University of Balochistan, Quetta; Rahmatullah, Institute of Research Promotion (IRP); Bashir Agha, Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Co; Engineer Muhammad Arshad Anwar, GEMS, Karachi; and Engineer Muhammad Khan Uthmankhail, EPA, Balochistan. The meeting was presided over by LCCI senior vice president Badar-e-Munir Patel.