Knowledge sharing among varsities needed

Conference to promote knowledge transfer, promotion of innovation among universities of participating countries.

ISLAMABAD: International Strategic Partnership in Research and Education’s Regional Policy Dialogue (INSPIRE-RPD) was launched here on Tuesday aimed at knowledge transfer and promotion of innovation among the universities of participating countries.

As many as 35 delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan and UK participated in the dialogue.

Participants include representatives of Ministries of Education of the above countries, Vice Chancellors of Universities and sector and industry specific representatives.

The three-day dialogue was jointly organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the British Council under the INSPIRE programme.

The British Council has been working closely with the HEC since 2004 and has connected 50 universities in Pakistan with universities in the UK to help the capacity building of higher education institutions in Pakistan. INSPIRE RPD explores many critical questions in knowledge transfer in higher education and how best practices from the region can be implemented in Pakistan.

The dialogue was formally launched by Adam Thomson, British High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion the British High Commissioner said, “Higher Education is of extreme importance in the progress of a country. I am really glad that this regional dialogue is happening in Islamabad and thankful to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the British Council for organising this momentous event.”

The opening day explored the role and responsibilities of government in economic, social and cultural development of a country both nationally and internationally. Pakistani perspective was outlined by Dr Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC and Dr Mukhtar, Member Operations and Planning, HEC. Foreign perspectives were given by Dr Mohsin Elmahdy, Executive Director, Projects Management Unit, Ministry of Higher Education, Egypt and Professor Geoff Layer, Pro Vice Chancellor University of Bradford, UK.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr Javed Laghari said that the dialogue is a necessary step to bring the regional countries together for promoting academic research. “It is an opportunity of creative discourse which will be a starting point for long term academic and research relationships,” he maintained.

Presently, the HEC chairman said, there are more than 50 linkages between Pakistani and UK universities.

Talking to The Express Tribune, David Martin, Director British Council Pakistan said that the UK government would continue its support for education in Pakistan in future.

He said that the British Council would introduce new programs after 2012 after the current educational programmes end.

The British Council has received around 300 proposals from Pakistani universities for partnership with the UK universities and of them 17 of the best proposals will be selected after their review.

British Council Director Education Central and South Asia Lynne Heslop said that the purpose of this dialogue was building relations among universities for improving economies of the regional countries.

For developing economies, the regional countries have to build partnership and relationships among industries, businesses and communities.

She was optimistic that the dialogue would develop an action plan for universities to develop a comprehensive mechanism for transformation of knowledge and also to benefit the experience of eight different countries. She said that the British Council has chosen Pakistan for this conference because it is rigorously pursuing higher education reform programmes and Pakistan is very proactive in working with universities for developing knowledge economy.

She said that outcome of this dialogue would be shared in the conference held in Hong Kong organised by British Council in March where more than 60 countries would participate.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2010.