Education minister opens research complex at IIU

Islamabad : Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday inaugurated the Al-Farabi Research Complex at new campus of the International Islamic University here on Wednesday.

The campus contains three centres including, Business incubation Centre, Centre for Advanced Electronics & Photovoltaic Engineering and Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Aba Al-Khail – Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Science (SA-CIRBS).

The Education Minister said the country is facing youth bulge and government’s prime focus is to utilize the energies of youth. He said that it was among top priorities to not only educate the youth but also provide them skills required by the industry.

The minister said that even highly qualified youth could not succeed in getting employments as the qualification they obtained did not match or come up to the expectation of market so it was needed to equip them with market oriented skills.

He continued that the ministry was focusing on improving the quality of education, enrolment of out of school children, introducing a uniform education system, and skill development of the youth.

Shafqat Mehmood maintained that advancement in the technology and its introduction to youth was the top priority.

He urged the Pakistani universities to follow the vision of IIUI where he hailed the centres established as per requirements of the hour. He said bringing experts of various subjects under one roof was a best initiative, while IDB funded lab was a source to find solution to energy problem.

He vowed that the ministry will keep backing constructive projects launched by IIUI.

IIU Rector Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said Science and technology is a new phenomenon and it is the time to bring experts of various disciplines in a uniformed place to find solutions to the problem. “We must find indigenous solutions to indigenous problems,” he added.

He maintained the there was a dire need of changes in teaching methods of higher education institutions across the country.

He stressed that research applicable on society must be held instead of individual research papers focused on degrees. "Universities would have to make their relevance to solution to problems and such indigenous research centers can be the game changers in future."

He hoped soon Al Farabi complex will be able to address the contemporary challenges of the country.

IIU President Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh also addressed the ceremony and said that Al-Farabi center was omen of varsity’s vision of internationalization.

He said that university was keen to collaborate nationally and international to have advancements in research and to find solutions to the contemporary challenges.

He also apprised that steps to enhance IIUI’s bilateral relationship with educational institutions of KSA were also taken.

He vowed that university will keep working on constructive projects in the light of vision of education ministry.

The ceremony was also attended by IIUI Vice Presidents, and Dr. Ahmed Shuja Syed, Executive Director Centre for Advanced Electronics & Photovoltaic Engineering, Engr. Ahsan Mirza, Director business Incubation Centre, Dr. Abdul Hameed, Director SA-C IRBS, Dr. Mohsin Ali, Deans, Directors General and other relevant officials.