Pakistan’s annual budget for education and research work stands very low and it needs to be enhanced as most of the grants to universities go towards bearing salary expenses, said a high official of a garments manufacturers’ body.
“There is a gap between
industry-academia linkages, which should be filled; a curriculum can be designed to bridge this gap,” emphasised Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) North Zone Chairman Waseem Akhtar Khan.
He made the remarks at an event where PRGMEA inked an MoU with Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and GC University Lahore. They joined hands for sustainable growth through fortifying industry-academia linkages and keeping the local industry competitive in the international market by establishing the missing links.
“This partnership between PRGMEA and LUMS brings together expertise, resources and a shared vision for innovation and sustainable development,” Khan added.
PRGMEA Central Chairman Mubashar Naseer Butt said that the MoU with GC University would help solidify a mutual commitment to advancing the industry’s development and work on decarbonisation through forestation, reforestation and other methods to create urban forests and vertical forests in Lahore and its suburbs.
Meanwhile, PRGMEA and GC University organised a seminar, focusing on the importance and relevance of Carbon Sink Forests in achieving the goal of net zero emissions.
The seminar was aimed at creating awareness of how the garment industry could actively contribute to mitigating climate change through sustainable practices.
Speaking on the occasion, the PRGMEA central chairman stressed that the value-added textile industry recognised the significance of addressing environmental challenges and embracing sustainable solutions.
“The concept of Carbon Sink Forests, also known as carbon sequestration forests, offers a powerful approach to offsetting carbon emissions and restoring ecological balance,” he said.
Participants of the seminar underlined that the curriculum of universities should be according to the requirement of the industry and industrialists should be given representation in the boards of universities so that they could play their role in bringing the industry and academia closer.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2023.
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