Collaboration for development: ‘Improve industry-university linkage for progress’

Students could be hired as interns to provide cost-effective business solutions, FCCI told.

FAISALABAD:

Industry-University linkages can help bolster economic growth in the country. Industrialists should take advantage of the research and testing facilities at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, UAF Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Department In-charge Arshad Jamil said at a meeting at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.

He said that the University of Agriculture Faisalabad had testing facilities where competent faculty members and students conduct research on all business sectors. They could provide business solutions for a much lesser price , he said.

“Industries can approach us with specific problems and we can provide solutions for them,” said Jamil, “The industries can then offer students internships.”



He said that the students and industries both stood to gain from this arrangement. The students will be able to enhance their skills and provide cost-effective business solutions to industries.

Jamil said that Pakistan’s stagnant economic growth could, in part, be attributed to weak industry-university linkage. This has to be rectified, he said.

“We should follow the example of advanced economies and fill in this gap,” he said, “Only two per cent of the budget has been allocated for education- the lowest allocation among countries in the region.”



Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce President Mian Zahid Aslam, in his welcome address, said that the government was responsible for providing education and health facilities to the people. At least five per cent of the budget should have been set aside for the education sector, he said.

Pakistan’s literacy rate was 55 per cent, India’s 66 per cent and Sri Lanka’s 91 per cent. Pakistan was ranked 185th among 204 countries in terms of education, Aslam said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2013.