Auto parts association links up with engineering universities

Aim is to prepare students for industry-specific needs

KARACHI: Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (Paapam) Chairman Mashood Ali Khan has said that efforts to have strong liaison with the academia have finally started to bear fruit.

“After three years of pain-staking preparations, auto parts manufacturers and leading engineering universities have started collaborating with each other,” said Khan.

As part of the second phase of the Industry-Academia Liaison, prominent faculty members of NED University of Engineering & Technology and Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) visited auto part manufacturing factories in Karachi. The meetings were led by Paapam chairman.

The core agenda of the visit was to ascertain the gap between the academia and industry, Paapam members say. Moreover, the main focus was to engage the faculty towards the industry’s existing problems, addressing them with a pro-active approach.



The faculty of the two universities took inputs of entrepreneurs about the current challenges of the industry.

“After engineering universities, our next target is to take management universities on board,” he said.

The Paapam chairman also suggested private sectors’ involvement in the advisory boards.

Khan said that the first visit of faculty had been helpful in finding out the need of updating the curriculum which is currently being taught in universities.



He said that there is need to improve the quality of assignments of young engineering graduates, up gradation and modification of curriculum, and the adaptation of practical approach to speed up the pace of innovations as fast as industry’s growth.

The official highlighted the industry’s issues and explained Paapam’s aim to further strengthen the two-way communication between the industry and academia.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2017.

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