President Mamnoon urges focus on IT

Says country facing new challenges in education sector, more resources required.

LAHORE: Skill development in IT is part and parcel of the game-changing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said President Mamnoon Hussain Tuesday.

Addressing the 8th annual convocation of the Virtual University Pakistan (VUP), he said that significant interest of the new generation in the IT sector would be helpful for the development of the country.

He said that nationalisation of education and industry in the past years has created an intense negative impact on the human development sectors.

Hussain lauded the services rendered by the university in a country where a large number of students cannot afford higher education. He said that the country has been facing new challenges in the education sector and more resources were required to meet the ever growing needs and challenges.

“It’s a matter of honour that this institution has been doing projects with the UN for education,” said Hussain, adding that he hoped the university would also sign memorandum of understanding with other international universities so that students could be equipped with modern skills and knowledge.

He said IT has changed the whole world and this department would become more important when CPEC projects materialise. However, he stressed the need for more IT graduates in the coming days and urged educational institutions to pay attention towards the needs of preparing IT experts.

He pointed out that education sector was ignored in the past due to which literacy goals remained unachieved and human resource development was affected.

The president said that education is the only tool which creates a sense of responsibility and encourages the youth to meet the challenges facing the society.

Hussain, who is also the university chancellor, gave away gold medals and shields to students who secured prominent positions in various fields.

Earlier, VUP Rector Naveed A Malik highlighted the achievements of this institution and said that 6,245 students including 2,166 from Lahore campus were awarded degrees in different disciplines.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2017.

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