ISLAMABAD  - Although focus of the projects of the government's Vision 2025 is energy crisis yet around 50 per cent of projects are related to education and they will be launched in April.
The government will also hold national research workshop to streamline the funding for research at higher education level. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said this while talking to media persons here at Planning Commission on Wednesday.
He said that in the next annual budget, ministry of planning and development along with ministry of science and technology was planning to launch a new scheme aimed at harnessing the potential of high school students in the field of science and technology. "Under this scheme, talented students will be identified and facilitated through scholarships and other incentives so that they can pursue their dreams and become useful human resource for the country," he added.
In the next financial year, he said, the federal government would establish endowment fund for deserving students on the pattern of the Punjab government in addition to creating researchers fund for PhD students. "The fund would encourage research that is aligned with the national development agenda."
Regarding the appointment of chairman Higher Education Commission, he said he would meet the prime minister to discuss the issue. The prime minister constituted the new committee without taking him on board and he would request the PM to reconsider three names sent to him earlier short-listed after interviews.
Iqbal remarked that they were also focusing on decreasing the gap between industry and academia. "The contribution of our textile industry in economy is 65 per cent whereas the number of PhDs produced in this field during past decade is not more than 10 out of the total 7,000 PhDs and you will hardly find any expert," he said. He said the government had decided to increase the budget for higher education in the next fiscal year too. He said that he had sent a letter to all chief ministers of the provinces about curriculum, medium of instructions in schools and other things, adding the CMs had not yet replied to him.
He said that in Vision 2025, the government had also planned to initiate development communication programmes with the assistance of media for capacity building of journalists along with active engagement and sustainable partnership of the government.