‘Enhancing graduates’ ability challenge for varsities’

LAHORE:The biggest immediate challenge to the universities is enhancing the employability of their graduates, said Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi on Wednesday while addressing an international conference at the GC University Lahore.

“We have been told by the industry that you send us your best graduates and we have to teach them again,” said Prof Zaidi, adding that they have to upskill their graduates to make them useful for the industry in Pakistan and abroad.

The two-day international conference on “fisheries and aquaculture” is organised by the university’s Zoology Department in collaboration with leading industries. Prof Zaidi chaired the inaugural session of the conference which was also addressed by University of Education VC Prof Talat Naseer Pasha, Director General Punjab Fisheries Department Dr Sikander Hayat and Secretary Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries Shahid Zaman.

Besides faculty and students from 25 universities, about 19 industries working fisheries sector are participating in the conference spread over six technical sessions.

Vice Chancellor Prof Zaidi said conferences like these are an opportunity where academia and industry can sit in a very frank atmosphere, tell them where they have fallen short and what they need to do to make their graduates productive members of industry. He welcomed the three international participants to the conference including Dr Jhon Sweetman who has 40 years of experience in the field of aquaculture. Secretary Fisheries Shahid Zaman said that no industry can flourish without support from academia and researchers. However, he said the government is providing subsidies to the private sector to flourish in the fisheries sector so that they can fulfill the commercial demand and biodiversity in the rivers can be protected. In his opening remarks, Principal Organiser Prof Dr Hafiz Muhammad Tahir said that the purpose of this conference is to bring together researchers, academicians, the farming community and industry stakeholders on one platform.

Dr Sikander Hayat shed light on the introduction of new technologies for improved fish production. FiskaTech Business Head Saad Yousaf and CEO Alltech Muhammad Khaleeq Arshad also addressed the first session.