LAHORE: Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman and Chairman Kyrgyzstan Trade House Meher Kashif Younis said in prevailing global scenario, industrial robotics, artificial intelligence and manufacturing based economy are pre-requisite for sustainable economic growth and prosperity. Talking with Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission Dr Shahid Munir he said over years, industry-academia collaboration has enhanced knowledge, innovation and played an integral part in economic growth of developed countries. He said linkage of academia and industry has strategic role in developing critical skills required by industry (both production and service sector), generation, acquisition and adoption of knowledge and in promoting entrepreneurship (start-ups and spin-offs). Similarly expansion of market driven research and innovation at university level can be utilized at industrial level to foster commercialisation.

He said interaction between industry and academia has been key for economic growth in developed world. He said focus of academia has to be on current needs and market trends. Unless industry and academia is not on the same page, there will always be a mismatch between the skills and knowledge required at industry and the graduates produced by universities.

Meher Kashif Younis said In Pakistan, the industrial academia linkage (IAL) situation is not encouraging and there is vast gap between the knowledge produced and knowledge required by the industry. He said Pakistan’s local trade and industry needs effort in competing with international companies. He said Pakistani firms not only need to compete at local level but also to compete at global level. However, there are significant challenges that need to be addressed he added.

President Gold Ring Economic Forum-strategic think tank Hasnain Raza was also present.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 19 2023

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