Governor Sindh Muhammad Zubair has emphasized the need of developing linkages between the academia and the industry for innovation, invention, employment and economic growth in Pakistan. Speaking as a chief guest at a seminar here on Wednesday, the Governor announced that he would personally take an initiative in regard to establish collaboration between the two stakeholders. The event titled 'Promotion of Indus-Academia Collaboration on Knowledge and Economic Development' was organized by Pakistan Science Foundation's Pakistan Scientific and Technological Information Center (PASTIC) along with Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI).
"The academia should sit with the industry to take their input that what marketing, business, information, communication, technology and other skills the industry wants," the Governor said. Citing his example, he said when he was graduating from US, the officials from every sector of the business used to visit and lecture the students about their respective sectors. "They introduced their industries to the students and explained why and how the students shall join them," he told.
He praised some private sector universities in Sindh which had developed linkages with the business. He said the universities can even take the initiative of developing a business idea and then sharing the same with the businessmen who could finance the project. The Governor informed that he would soon personally invite key industrialists to meet the academia in order to develop a collaborative way which would benefit both the sides.
He noted that though some industries had been directly or indirectly funding the higher education, there was a need to streamline that funding for better utilization. "After visiting Sindh, I realized that the students of interior Sindh are far more interested in acquiring higher education," he observed and praised highly qualified teachers who had been imparting education in the province.
Responding to the HCCI's demand about carrying out infrastructure development in Hyderabad, Muhammad Zubair acknowledged that problems existed but only some of them could be addressed in the short-term. He recalled that Hyderabad used to be a city which had hosted international test matches 3 to 4 decades ago. "But now even it is difficult to arrange a T20 international match in this city," he lamented while also pointing out how the condition of the Niaz cricket stadium had deteriorated over the years.
He informed that in his recent meeting with the Prime Minister, he apprised the latter that all formalities relating to establishment of a university in Hyderabad had been completed. He informed that he requested the Prime Minister to provide the required approvals at the federal level and release funds. The Governor also acknowledged that addressing infrastructure problems in the SITE area of Hyderabad was necessary to enable the industrial growth. "But some of all these things could not be addressed before the 2018 general elections as the new government will have to address these issues," Zubair said.
Later talking to the media persons, the Governor said the peoples' vote was very important. "What I say is the election is a very important process. To change your fate the people give vote and that vote is important," he said. He believed that the political parties should share their economic plans with the business community which should evaluate practicability and implementation of that plan as well as past performance of that party.
"They should ask that you making tall claims but practically how will you go about it," he asked, adding that he suggested the same to the federal, provincial and Karachi based business forums. Governor Sindh said it was important that the political parties share their economic program with the business community for the latter's perusal. "They (businessmen) should then decide which political party is better," he said and added: "The collaboration between the business community and the political parties is strongly needed similar to the collaboration between academia and industry," he underlined.
Replying to another question, Zubair said the National Security Council had been formed where the political and military leadership held meetings and discussed the security issues. To another query, he said earlier it was considered that only seminaries were producing extremist students but in the recent time, it had been observed that students in the universities had also been affected.
The PSF's Chairman Muhammad Ashraf, PASTIC's Director General Nageen Ainuddin, Vice Chancellor of Sindh University Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, Pro VC of Isra University Hameedullah Kazi, Sindh Agriculture University's VC Professor Dr Mujeebuddin Sahrai and other officials also spoke on the occasion.