President Dr. Arif Alvi has said that universities have crucial role towards human resource development, which ultimately contribute towards socio-economic progress of the country. He directed the universities to streamline and expand student-centric initiatives, in order to provide the student academic and career counseling, mentoring, alumni facilities and information on transparent admissions etc. He added that good governance and research-oriented quality education in universities are major prerequisites to get place in international rankings. The President said this while chairing a meeting with Vice Chancellors/Heads of Universities at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Wednesday. Federal Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and Chairman, HEC Dr. Tariq Banuri were also present on the occasion. The President emphasized that the importance of creating a linkage between academic research and the public policy formulation process. He underscored that industry of Pakistan cannot develop without collaboration of the universities. He pointed out that there is lack of academia-industry linkage in Pakistan. He added that strong University-Industry relationship at national and international levels is required to be established. He underscored that 4th Industrial Revolution trends such as Internet of Things, Robotics, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence are changing the way we live and work. Furthermore, he stressed that professional trainings should be imparted in the fields of art, journalism, hospitality, environment and forestry. The President directed to formulate a committee to work on review of curricula and duration of study period for various degrees. This committee should also review quality compliance and standardization across higher education sectors, he added. He also emphasized to expand the horizon of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). He asked the universities to build the capacity to teach adoption of double entry accounting system. The President directed the Vice Chancellors to develop and strengthen international collaborations between Pakistani universities and reputed foreign universities in order to benefit from each other experiences. He also urged the VCs to prepare students keeping in view the requirements of 4thIndustrial Revolution. He further highlighted the importance of involving competent administrators and academicians in education sector. *******
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