Adviser calls for closer industry, academia linkages

SWABI: Adviser to Chief Minister on Industry Abdul Karim Khan on Friday underscored the need for promoting closer linkages between the industry and academia.

“We want to establish strong ties with academia. The government is willing to provide the required financial assistance to the academia,” he said while speaking at a meeting at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology.

The adviser accompanied by a delegation visited the GIK Institute.

He said that the main objective of their visit to GIK Institute was to establish strong collaboration and to take practical steps to achieve the desired results.

He added that the government was taking steps to strengthen the industrial sector in a bid to provide employment opportunities to the educated youth.

Rashakai Economic Zone Development Company Chief Executive Officer Javed Khattak, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry KP Vice-President Mohammad Zahid Shah, Swabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Shiraz Akram Bacha, Gadoon Industrial Association President Fazal Rahim accompanied the minister during his visit to the GIK Institute.

Acting Rector Sardar Aminullah Khan and Pro-Rector Academics Prof Dr Wasim Ahmad Khan led the GIK delegation at the meeting.

Detailed presentations were made about minerals extraction and characterization, development of micro-hydro turbines and functional reverse engineering.

The delegation also visited the modern laboratories at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering where they were briefed about the functions of different machines.

Later a video showing functions and work of different machines was also displayed.

The faculty members said that the provincial industry needed top-class skilled workforce and supervisory staff. They said that GIK was striving to impart skills to the industry workers.

The delegation took deep interest in the research work and lauded research and development activities at the Institute. They stressed for result-oriented research and utilisation of the available facilities.

Sardar Aminullah Khan said the GIK Institute could help the KP industry in different sectors and the faculty members who were experts in diverse fields could undertake the specific projects in accordance with demand of the provincial government as part of academia and industry linkages programme.

He stated that GIK offered high quality education at graduate and post-graduate level. He said GIK had top class faculty particularly in Information Technology and material discipline.