Call for strengthening industries, academia linkages

PESHAWAR: Industrialists and academicians on Saturday agreed to launch joint ventures and initiatives to strengthen linkages between industries and academia.

They described mutual collaboration as essential to capitalize on the skills of graduating students of universities in order to overcome the issue of rising unemployment.

For this purpose, a six-member committee was formed. 

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad will head the committee. While other members of the body include Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail, from academia Dr Shahid Niaz Khan, Hina Akram, Dr Syed Asim Shah and S Minhajuddin from the business community.

The agreement was reached during a roundtable conference on “Industries, Universities Linkages” jointly organised by SCCI and HEC at the Chamber’s House.

It was aimed at enhancing linkages between industries and academia.

SCCI president Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad presided over the session while HEC Executive Director, Dr Shaista Sohail acted as moderator during the conference.

HEC senior member, and former Deputy Chairman Planning, HEC Dr Muhammad Ikram participated in the conference through video-link.

SCCI vice president Javed Akhtar, executive member Ghulam Hussain, S Minhajuddin, Secretary Agriculture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Dr Muhammad Israr, heads/senior officers of the Office of Research Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) from various public and private sector varsities, designed representatives from relevant departments, traders, industrialists and reps of relevant stakeholders were present.

The participants identified the gaps and hurdles that were hampering linkages between academia and industries and gave a number of ideas and proposals to address all those issues.

They urged the HEC to take pragmatic steps to avail financial and technical resources to ensure quality research in universities, besides enlarging mutual collaboration between academia and industries.

The SCCI chief during his speech emphasized that coordination should be improved between industries and universities.

Dr Akram Shaikh through a video link during the conference also emphasized on boosting up academia and industries mutual collaboration by launching joint ventures, skill training programmes and other interventions.

He suggested the SCCI and universities should sign a memorandum of understanding and formulate a joint body to carry out forward and implement all proposals, as well as make efforts to address all those issues which were major obstacles in the way of industries and academia joint collaboration.

Dr Israr also spoke on the occasion and agreed with proposals of the participants regarding the strengthening academia and industries linkages and assured that the provincial government and his department would extend every possible support.