Alvi for accelerated efforts to increase enrollment in universities

Islamabad : President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday emphasised the need for accelerating efforts to increase enrolment rates in universities, particularly in Information Technology and Engineering sectors, so as to fulfil the market demand for skilled graduates.

He remarked that regional countries were producing a far-greater number of university graduates than Pakistan and our universities should focus on the promotion of online and distance learning to boost the number of Bachelors and Masters graduates in the country.

The President expressed these views during a meeting with the Vice-Chancellors/Rectors of federally chartered universities and degree-awarding institutions here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training (FE&PT) Shafqat Mahmood, Executive Director Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Shaista Sohail, Vice-Chancellors and Rectors of various universities attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the President urged the universities to equip their students with marketable skills by developing academia-industry linkages for enhancing the graduate employment rate in Pakistan.

He also called for making concerted efforts to improve the quality of virtual education through properly designed online courses, and improved content delivery and assessment methods.

Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood underlined the need for producing quality graduates by focusing on skills-based education, faculty development, and making investments in labs and associated educational facilities.

The meeting discussed various proposals for increasing the number of BS and MS graduates, besides exchanging views on HEC’s Online and Distance Learning policy and its criteria for ranking of universities.

Keeping in view the market demand for a skilled workforce, the meeting also discussed the prospects of introducing Associate Degrees (2-year degrees) in different fields and improving the quality and standard of higher education in Pakistan.

The participants underscored the need for faculty development, research facilities and teacher training so as to equip them with the required skills to impart online education.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday stressed upon imparting of quality education at the level of universities, besides increasing enrolment of graduates in the higher studies to meet the demands of the technological and industrial market.

The president underscored that skilled and well-equipped youth graduates in the fields of latest technological innovations including wave technology and chip manufacturing could fulfil country’s future requirements.

He was addressing at the concluding session of the 1st International Conference on Microwave, Antennas and Circuits arranged by National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).

The president stressed that they would have to change the approach and attitude to brace the latest transformations in the realms of science and technology.

Besides, further enhancing the quality of education at the university level, we should focus on increasing the number of graduates in the higher studies to meet the requirements of the local market as well as the global market craving for skilled people, he added.

The president said the research should be made in such a way that could be applicable practically to the market consumption.

He observed these were the basic pillars upon which a country’s foundation for future progress would depend.

The decisions of the academic, political and national leadership also played important role in setting the direction of nations, he opined.

The president further stressed upon enhancing the number of students pursuing higher education and said that the current ratio of 10 per cent should be proportionally increased to fill the vacuum.

Without sacrificing quality, we shall have to increase the numbers of graduates proportionally with all the available tools, he added.

Dilating upon the significance of cyber technology, he highlighted the latest development in the chip designing and manufacturing.

The president said that world had taken a paradigm shift in the technological and industrial revolutions, therefore, Pakistan should jump on this fast-paced train with quality trained youth bulge.

Pakistan being the fifth most populous country of the world was blessed with immense talented youth bulge who could take edge in the latest technologies, setting the country on the course of rapid progress and prosperity, he added.

The president also gave away awards among the researchers for their best research papers over microwave, antenna and circuits technologies.

On the occasion, Rector NUST Lieutenant Gen. (r) Javed Mahmood Bukhari and Principal RIMMS Dr. Hammad Mehmood Cheema also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of the conference and exchange of academic and research papers.