‘Low education budget hinders research work’

LAHORE:Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Professor Dr Shahid Munir has said that the low budget for education is an obstacle to research work. “Most of the grants received by the universities go towards salaries and sufficient funds are not available for research work, said Dr Shahid Munir while addressing the function of Amal Academy, an educational organisation, at a local hotel here on Wednesday.

Dr Shahid Munir admitted that there is a lack of industry-academia linkage that needs to be addressed, and curriculum development can play an important role in this regard. He said that there should be a curriculum that is compatible with the needs of the industry. In order to deal with the problems faced by the country, the trend of entrepreneurship should be promoted among the students. Dr Shahid Munir said that the country is currently facing many challenges including the environment, growing population and economy, for which educational institutions should meet the needs of the market. Production of suitable manpower is essential. He said that the countries involved in South Asia are facing four types of problems, which include population expansion, climate change, conflicts and unemployment. He said enough resources are not available in the region as the population is increasing rapidly.

He said an increase in population not only causes economic instability but also affects the education system. He said that according to an estimate, the world's population will reach 10 billion in 2050, which needs to be controlled. “According to the demands of the 21st century and market needs, providing scholarships to the graduates is a welcome initiative of Amal Academy,” he added.

Moot held to promote rail tourism

Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) on Wednesday organised a seminar to promote rail tourism among enthusiasts of Pakistan and UK under the project titled ‘UK-Pakistan: A Shared Heritage of Railway’. Project partner from the UK Miss Anila Ansari was the guest speaker while Principal Investigator Assistant Prof Dr Arfan Mahmood, faculty members and MPhil/PhD scholars were present on the occasion.

Miss Anila briefed the audience about the project and shared her personal experiences that she went through during the project in the UK and Pakistan. Dr Arfan shed light on the objectives and outcomes of the project. He also highlighted the challenges that have been faced throughout the project.

PU moot begins today

Punjab University Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP) in collaboration with Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL) and Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) will organise inaugural ceremony of the first international conference on ‘Eating Disorders’ today (Thursday) at 9:30am on its premises. PU VC Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood and internationally renowned professionals, faculty members from local universities / institutions will attend the event.