Support for education in Pakistan to continue: US CG

The United States of America will continue its support to the educational institutions of Pakistan through the university partnership programme, asserted US Consul General in Karachi, Grace W Shelton, during her address at the concluding session of the three-day 'Managing Megacities' conference on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, the US consul general commented that professors and scholars of the Karachi University and the George Mason University had done a great job in order to bridge the gap between the people of the both countries.She said Karachi and New York faced same sort of issues in general and both the countries should cooperate with each to resolve the issues.

 “I have received a warm welcome in Pakistan and it is just like my second home. The people are so friendly and I love the Pakistani culture. I am honoured to visit the KU for the first time and this is a great initiative of the Department of Public Administration in collaboration with the George Mason University, which must be commended.”

KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Qaiser expressed that this partnership was giving fruitful academic benefits to both the universities. “Indeed, this is just a beginning of a great academic journey.”

He ensured that the policy recommendations of the conference will be sent to the relevant state authorities for implementation. Dean Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences, KU, Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi, said the targets set for this partnership between the KU and the George Mason University were being achieved successfully. “This conference was highly pivotal for bridging the gap between the scholars of both countries.”

James Witte from the George Mason University mentioned that his university took great academic benefits from the learned faculty and researchers of the Karachi University.

Chairman Department of Public Administration, KU, Professor Dr Shabib-ul-Hasan, announced the launching of the official research journal of the department, entitled “Global Journal for Management and Administrative Sciences”.

Early, during the plenary sessions, KU faculty member of the Department of General History, Dr Moiz Khan, presented his paper on the Pakistani education system, highlighting drawbacks running several systems of education in Pakistan, especially Karachi.

He mentioned these systems being highly different in nature were creating superiority and inferiority complex among the young minds. He called for having a uniform education system, having all the positive aspects of the prevailing education systems in the country.

Shumaila Burney, visiting faculty member of the Department of Public Administration, KU, presented her paper related to the performance of the government hospitals in Karachi.

She lamented the fact that around 75 percent population of Karachi comprised of lower middle and middle class and they were deprived of adequate health care facilities at the government hospitals.

“Private hospitals despite their high fees lead the healthcare sector of the city which is unaffordable for a vast majority of the people of Karachi. The government needs to improve the health care facilities at the government hospitals.”

Ammad Zafar, M Phil scholar at the DPA, KU, in his paper, entitled “Determination of Youth Emigration”, revealed that in the last six years more than 3.7 million people had migrated from Pakistan to seek employment, mostly in the Middle East.

“Approximately, one million people migrated from Pakistan in 2015. Around 48.7 percent of the youth in Karachi want to leave Pakistan for various reasons, including unemployment, insecurity, economic problems, lack of social support, lack of career opportunities,” he observed.

“This high rate of outward migration from Pakistan is resulting in brain drain to other countires, especially in the health and education sectors, where there is a shortage of skilled workforce. Our youths are leaving the country because of a lack of education facilities and employment opportunities, security issues, economic and social opportunities; about four percent of Pakistani population or approximately seven million, currently lives abroad.”

He mentioned that about 48 percent of Pakistani emigrants lived in the Middle East, 28 percent in Europe, 19 percent in the United States and five percent elsewhere.

“According to a Gallup survey, two thirds of the population of Pakistan wishes to leave.”

Salman Khatani, M Phil scholar at DPA, KU, in his paper discussed the socio economic growth in Karachi. He claimed that in 2015, Pakistan’s population was 191.71 million. “As many as 30 percent of Pakistan’s population is in between 15 and 29 years of age. “With an estimated population of over 22 million, Karachi ranks as the seventh largest megacity in the world and its youth population with a median age of 21 years now exceeds seven million.”

According to him, newly emerging socio-economic patterns resulting from the rapid growth of Karachi creates an environment within which analysis of the entrepreneurial approach and perspective of youth is very important, particularly regarding issues such as reducing unemployment, improving economic development and job creation to achieve self-financial sustainability. As per his survey, 90 percent of the youth of Karachi does not see any opportunity for them within the city which helps explain why 30 percent are ready to welcome opportunities in other countries and want to leave metropolis.

Furthermore, he mentioned, 41 percent people claimed that they were experiencing uncertainty about the future of Karachi because of political uncertainty and they were thus not inclined to become involved in civic engagement, nor were they inclined towards active citizenship and social cooperation.