Govt, industry, academia to drive country out of crisis-experts: Seminar Held in Punjab University.
- February 28, 2024
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Leading experts recently emphasized the necessity of collaboration between the government, business, and academic institutions in order to elevate Pakistan and turn it into a developed country at the 9th Invention to Innovation Summit. After a five-year break, Punjab University's Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization organized the summit, which attracted researchers, industry experts, faculty members, and a large number of students.
Prominent figures in attendance included the chairman of the Punjab Higher Education Commission, Prof. Dr. Shahid Munir; Muhammad Akram Sheikh, chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation; Abid K. Sherwani, chief advisor of the University of Management and Technology; and Prof. Dr. Shakil Ahmed, director of ORIC.
Prof. Dr. Shahid Munir underlined the critical role that educational institutions play in promoting innovation and underscored the correlation between global innovation leadership and nation-state leadership. He emphasized that Pakistan ranks 88th out of 190 countries in terms of innovation, despite having outperformed several wealthy nations in the 1960s.
He cited Pakistan's pitiful 0.24% expenditure on research and development as evidence that there is not enough money invested in education and research, which is why this setback occurred. Prof. Dr. Munir emphasized the role that universities play in driving Pakistan's development, arguing that students should be encouraged to start their own businesses and that applied research is crucial for the country's economic growth.
Dr. Khalid Mahmood agreed, saying that collaboration between the public sector, business, and academics is essential for any nation to advance. He emphasized the cooperative efforts between various departments of Punjab University and industries, noting the active participation of industry and government figures in the summit. In addition to applauding students for exhibiting their ideas through stalls and posters, Dr. Akram Sheikh applauded Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood's efforts to bring back the summit and emphasized the value of practical training and encouraging creative thinking in educational institutions.
Abid K. Sherwani highlighted Pakistan's youthful population and wealth of natural resources as development drivers while outlining the summit's goal of disseminating research findings to the global community. He did, however, issue a warning about issues like the absurdity of an agricultural country importing basic food products and the millions of youngsters who are not attending school. Prof. Dr. Shakil Ahmed emphasized the value of the summit's exhibits for scientists, specialists, and students while restating ORIC's goal of fostering a research-oriented culture at universities.
The summit gave attendees a chance to learn about cutting-edge research being done in a variety of fields and academic settings, gaining recognition for the advancements being made in Pakistan's development.