VCs forum opens: Heads of varsities view challenges in education

Former HEC chairperson stresses need to build a knowledge-based economy.

ISLAMABAD:

Over 200 vice chancellors from Muslim countries assembled in the capital to discuss challenges in the higher education sector, modern trends and efforts to come up with viable and achievable targets.

Monday was the first day of the two-day forum and the participants had a busy day since the opening ceremony.

The theme for this year’s VC forum is Universities of the Islamic World: Challenges of Internationalisation. The largest number of the delegates from any country was 17 from Turkey while universities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uganda were also among the participants.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology and Chancellor Comsats Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) Zahid Hamid inaugurated the session. “Socio-economic development through knowledge-based economy is way forward for Muslim countries to come out of the crises they face in modern world,” he remarked.

The day revolved around the plenary session by former Higher Education Commission chairperson Dr Attaur Rehman who shed light on the modern challenges in the high-tech world besides urging the participants for a comprehensive platform for achieving it. “The biggest challenge for the coming generations will be water and food and that are the areas which should be the focus of research and innovation,” Rahman urged the heads of the varsities. He stressed the need to persuade respective governments to meet the global challenges by investing in a knowledge-based economy.

Minister of State for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education Balighur Rehman stated that the state needed to invest more in higher education as the need for learning and innovation should be the priority of nations.

Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Isesco) Director General Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri remarked on the theme of the forum and said that the gathering is reflective of deep awareness about serious implications of the challenges faced by higher education.

“The prime mission of the forum should be to undertake, assess the nature of the problems and the scope of difficulties and then come up with objective and viable recommendations as a roadmap for heads of the Muslim world varsities,” he concluded.

On the sidelines of the formal sessions, talks and panel discussions Pakistani universities’ exhibition has also been established showcasing the academic and research programmes being offered by different universities across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2013.