Technological advancement: Minister urges need-based education

Ahsan Iqbal says govt in process of setting benchmarks for universities

LAHORE: Federal Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that education and research work should be conducted as per the country’s needs to cope with the emerging challenges.

He said this while addressing the concluding ceremony of 4th International Conference on Research in Education at Punjab University’s Faisal Auditorium.

“We are passing through the era of knowledge revolution and if we do not change ourselves with the changing time, we would meet our end,” Ahsan said. “The challenge of the present age is that teaching and research work should be according to our needs.”



“We must explore new horizons of knowledge and must see how we can utilise knowledge according to our needs,” the minister said. “Our youth must believe in their abilities and Pakistan because our country is progressing rapidly. Our universities must find solutions to the problems being faced by all sections of the society.”

Ahsan said ‘cut and paste knowledge’ was responsible for the destruction of the education system.

He claimed the federal government was in the process of making six new benchmarks to evaluate universities through the standard of education, research, academia-industry linkages, contribution towards community and their relationship between learning and technology.

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, University of Education Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-e-Azam, Faculty of Education Dean Prof Dr Mumtaz Akhtar, Conference Secretary Prof Dr Abid Hussain Chaudhry, Prof Dr Rifaqat Ali, Prof Dr Rizwan Akram, Dr Abdul Qayyum Chaudhry, delegates from various parts of country and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Dr Mujahid said the federal minister had always supported research projects in Planning Commission and had played a key role in providing funds for various projects at Punjab University.

In 2014, he added, the Planning Commission provided Rs840 million grant for various projects at PU, of which some had been completed and some were near completion. In 2016, the commission had sanctioned Rs980-million grant for establishing an energy centre at PU with the support of the federal minister.

Dr Mumtaz demanded the government allocate 4% of the GDP to education and 3% to research and development. Later, souvenirs were presented to the guests of honour and foreign delegates.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2016.