HEIs urged to focus on research, industry-academia linkages.

LAHORE -- Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) Secretary Najaf Iqbal has urged the higher education institutions (HEIs) to focus on research, application of technology and strengthening industry-academia linkages.

He was addressing the launch of the Engineering Capstone Expo (ECE-2022) on Thursday organised by the Pakistan Engineering Council at the Punjab University.

Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Shahid Munir, PEC Vice Chairman Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Saleem Mazhar, Punjab Tianjin University of Technology VC Prof Dr Abdul Sattar Shakir, Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) Chairman Abdur Razzaq Gauhar and others attended the ceremony.

Mr Iqbal said Pakistan was having the best brains but unfortunately lacked proper trajectory due to the limited opportunities and incongruence of our degrees with the industrial needs.

'Our graduates are either unaware of the modern industrial problems and their solutions or find few chances to prove their potential.'

He said there was a need to patronise the talent of graduates and provide them with opportunities to showcase it to the industry. He hoped that the expo would catch the attention of the local industry and bridge the widening gap between the industry and academia.

Mr Iqbal added that it was encouraging that our academia had realised the dilemma and was committed to mending the fissures between academia and industry. He claimed that education regulatory and accreditation bodies were also working in tandem for skills development and encouraging industry-academia linkages.

Prof...