News
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Gilani asks universities to polish students’ entrepreneurial skillsISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Monday, urged the universities in the country to impart entrepreneurial skills to youth to help strengthen national economy.
He was addressing the award-giving ceremony of Prime Minister’s Entrepreneurial Challenge programme DISCOVER, at National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). “I strongly feel that universities must solve problems of our local industry and scale up their research and development focused on commercial success,” the prime minister said.
Gilani said new growth strategy was being developed and implemented by the democratic government, which laid greater emphasis on human resource development, innovation and entrepreneurship. He said the Higher Education Commission (HEC) was also focusing on the greater role of universities in building economy, community and future leaders. “We are also using Benazir Income Support Fund (BISF), micro-credit financing and internship schemes to support the educated and dynamic youth of Pakistan to become high achievers in life,” he said. He said the competition “Discover: Prosperity through Entrepreneurship” was absolutely in line with the vision of his government to promote education.
He directed the Rector NUST, Ministry of Science and Technology, HEC and Ministry of Information Technology to look into setting up of endowment fund which would be used as seed money for start up companies at NUST Technology Incubation Centre. The prime minister said for this reason, he readily agreed to the proposal as he sincerely believed that it was the only way to create jobs. The prime minister recalled that while presiding over a meeting of Pakistan Software Export Board, he directed completion of the Information Technology Park Project in Islamabad on fast-track basis.
He said the project will also be launched in provinces at a later stage and he had already instructed for allotment of a piece of land for this purpose. He said Pakistan was a truly blessed nation, where 63 percent of its population was under 25 years of age having enormous potential.
“Our demographic potential places Pakistan on a take-off stage provided the capabilities of our youth are harnessed for productive purposes,” he said. He stressed the need for developing linkages between Pakistani universities and job markets, and added it was an age of knowledge-driven economies. “We must not lose sight of challenges that lie ahead as we march on. These challenges call for encouraging a sense of critical inquiry and a thirst for knowledge among the students.” app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk