LAHORE - Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that after industrial revolution, today is the era of knowledge based economy in which strong linkages between academia and industry.
He was addressing 3rd Invention to Innovation Summit organised by PU Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Pakistan Science Foundation, University of Management and Technology and Institute of Research Promotion at Al Raazi Hall here on Wednesday. PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran, Chairman Pakistan Foundation Dr Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto, Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, CEO IRP Abid Sherwani, Director ORIC Prof Dr Amir Ejaz, senior faculty members, industrial representatives and a large number of students were present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, Ashan Iqbal said that the government wanted to link education with economy and would allocate a huge amount to education in the next budget.
He said that efforts were being made to utilize potential and capabilities of educationist and researchers in the industries. He said that the government wanted to increase its exports volume till 100 billion dollars till 2025.
He said that the government was establishing innovation fund and wanted to provide maximum resources to universities and it was expected that universities would also play their role in national development.
He said that our future was associated with progress in six areas including micro electronics, computer, telecommunication, robotic technology, man-made material and biotechnology and development in combination of these technologies.
He said that passion was required to build the nation and Pakistan’s current generation would have to work hard and make sacrifices for the sake of the next generation. He said that there was knowing-doing-gap in our society and we must eliminate gap between knowledge and practice. He said that the richest person today was the owner of Microsoft, not a property or industry icon and only one software WhatsApp was sold for 19 billion dollars, which reflected the importance of knowledge and innovation.
PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that the government was making serious efforts for promotion of education in country. He said that PU’s research projects worth Rs 85 crore were approved in the previous ECNEC meeting only because of the efforts of Ahsan Iqbal otherwise the bureaucracy of Punjab Government’s Planning and Development Department was creating hurdles. He requested the federal minister and the media to take notice of the attitude of bureaucracy of Punjab which was creating hurdles in approval of research projects. He said that production of maximum PhDs in the country was the idea of Ahsan Iqbal. He said that there should be at least 1500 PhDs in each university. He said that now our teachers were in a position to give projects and advices to the government for national development.