Pak-China education corridor can be key to uniting Asian nations: Rabbani

Karachi

Collaboration between universities of Sindh and Hainan – a province in China - was termed a ‘healthy departure’ from Pakistan’s old policy of affiliations with European and American educational institutions, by Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Monday.

This he said while addressing the Sindh-Hainan Universities Forum organised by the Sindh Madrassatul Islam Unversity (SMIU) under the China-Pakistan educational partnership; as many as four universities from Hainan were participating in the event.

Presiding over the event, Rabbani suggested to form a link between universities and the country’s parliament, as practiced elsewhere in the world. This, he observed would help parliamentarians devise concrete policies.

“We, the people of Asia, have many things in common, and initiatives like this will help us forging an inseparable unity,” Rabbani said while highlighting the history of Sino-Pak relationship.

From geography to historic events, Hainan and Sindh shared several things in common specifically the fact that communism in former, and Sufism in latter, fought against autocracy, Rabbani claimed.

“The education corridor launched by the two provinces will bring prosperity to both the countries and create economic fortunes that would benefit generations to come.”

Speaking of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he observed that it would further strengthen the relationship between the two countries and improve Pakistan’s ability to defend its soil more efficiently.

He called for academic freedom and revival of intellectual discourse in the country, which according to him would yield far better prospects for the future.

“The government should encourage academic discourse in universities and parliament should benefit from the intellect of scholars.”

He stated that the bourgeoisie ensured that a stop was put to the culture of debate in universities so as to perpetuate their rule.

The senate had signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with eight leading universities of Pakistan under which they would send interns to the upper house; some were already interning in the house, he claimed.

“It was high time that autonomy of universities was ensured in the country, as education was the only institution which could help bring out talent in Pakistan, consequently helping the country carve its space in best academic nations of the world.”

Acting consul general of the Chinese mission in Karachi, Mu Yong Ceng, hoped the forum would open up new avenues in the field of education.

Earlier SMIU Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh also spoke at the event.

On the first day of the forum affiliation of the SMIU with four universities in Hainan was formally announced. According to the agreement, the universities would offer admission to students of the two countries; SMIU would initially send 20 of its students to China for a short period.