Moalims

Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal recently announced that three universities will be established along the CPEC's western route in G-B, KPK and Balochistan and shall become operational by 2016. If this is so, it is indeed a welcome news as it takes the wind out of the propaganda against PML-N that the latter is obsessed with only big ticket glitzy projects at the cost of health and education. Albeit the tradition of university-education linkage is new in Pakistan, in the Western world it has been taking place since the 19th century. Besides other factors, this has played an important role in their national development. For in Western nations, the need for universities-industry collaboration has been well understood and imbibed as greater spending is allocated for research and development for the tie-up between industry and academia.

Unlike past, the universities are no longer responsible for only imparting knowledge to students, awarding degrees and conducting convocations. Then, their function was limited: they wanted to teach what students were interested to learn. The paradigm has now drastically shifted: merely acquiring degrees with no skill- based knowledge is becoming redundant for national development. Learning should be utilised and contribute to creating a knowledge- based society leading to economic growth and development. It should and thereby enhance the welfare of society -materially and non-materially. Likewise, the traditional role of teachers and vice chancellors has undergone a sea change. Besides being able administrator the VC has to be a visionary, an entrepreneur, attracting endowments and funds, enticing the best and the brightest faculty and then retaining it. By fostering research and innovation and through building webs with industry and businesses, maintaining best of relations with research centers and pushing reforms the universities can act as engines of national growth. In developed nations the universities, business houses, industry and even armed forces form a virtuous symbiotic chain in promoting national development.

While in developing countries like Pakistan, the linkage has been restricted to certain selected sectors such as bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, now collaboration in other areas is being realised. For, the university-industry co-operation is beneficial not only for industry but benefits the society and nation by developing innovativeness and generating revenues thus increasing GDP of the country. Moreover, this is a beneficial strategy for technology transfer to the industry, enhance capacity building, improve quality of products, develop human resources, and improve energy and other infrastructural development.

This change has been driven by demands from business community, evolutionary developments and needs of universities to find additional funding sources. Capacity building, creating innovative skills, internship programs facilitate employment and help business and industry to grow.

Coming to government decision to build universities along CPEC's western route is therefore very timely. It is felt that if strategically located and keeping in view the special endowments and needs of the region they would be contributive in capacity building, generating skill and jobs. This would boost economies by providing employments at nodal points within the loop. Gwadar port could pave the way for further infrastructure and energy development, laying of roads and railway tracks, industrial parks, fibre optics, technical training centers, businesses schools, and ancillaries like colleges, hospitals, markets, restaurants, hotels etc.

Hence universities in each province will specialise on special development potentials and accordingly frame their syllabi and training programs. These include diverse competencies like mining, strategic minerals, fruit industry, farming, small dams, coastal development, mangroves, and fisheries.

In the same way, socio-cultural dividends might follow. Learning of Chinese language will get incentivized more and feeder universities like NUML will be useful. Benefits in local employment as a result rise in technical and general literacy will give locals a stake in the system. Exposure to Chinese language, culture, history and philosophies such as Confucian would build people to people links. Already a major Confucius Centre is being run by NUML to fulfill these requirements. The Confucian values of respect for family, hierarchy, harmony, efficiency, work ethics, loyalty to companies, management styles and techniques would usher positive societal changes.

Technical education and skills, moreover, create a dent in traditional rigid structures of a society, especially the feudal-tribal system. These are archaic systems which are living on borrowed time: the wings of change cannot be shut out and as the Pakistani 'youth bulge' is gradually exposed to interacting with the Chinese the latter would act as agents of change. In addition universities in remote regions will allow movement of students from Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia may nudge the region towards regional connectivity. Separatist movements may be dampened as they are based on ethnicity or any kind of deprivation which thrives on disgruntled, ill-educated, jobless and marginalized youth of society.

Regions lying on periphery of western Pakistan (Balochistan) and western China (Xinjiang) were historically neglected. Balochistan under the Mughals and after the British rule was buffered against Russian threat in the so-called Great Game. Likewise, the Iranian Balochistan-Siestan has suffered as result of neglect being a periphery under the Safavids.

Where poverty and illiteracy is rampant setting up of universities in each province along the CPEC route will generate associated business activity. Recent reports suggest settlements are already starting to grow along the route. However, it all boils down to the implementation in letter and spirit. Many high flown projects stand degraded when it comes to implementation through lack of co-ordination, conflict of interests, overlapping jurisdictions, disregard for merit, inadequate money allocations and lack of institutional oversight.

Worthy of note here is that countries such as South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia and others in East Asia in specific periods have heavily invested in education. Likewise, Pakistan should do that. This is all the more needed as Balochistan is an impoverished region, faced military actions and was, till late, bedeviled by militancy. As a resource- rich region it is a magnet for foreign interference.

This can be forestalled by prophylactic measures of mass education and employment that will empower its people and youth. The Chinese, on their part, are doing the same in western province of Xinjiang to forestall separatist and terrorist tendencies.

In fact, there is a dire need to sensitize the industry with respect to the gains which can be made from a spiralling triple helix relationship from industry-government- academia. In this regard, best practices and success stories from developed countries may have to be showcased. Innovation- prone sectors within industry and business can be focused by academia, and joint projects and incubation activities need to be stepped up.

Some sectors of Pakistani economy could be categorised as those which are less prone to innovation while others are ready to foster innovation and new products. The former category includes mature sectors with low technological content like commodities, textiles, autos whereas the activities of small and medium enterprises, engineering and telecom sector fall in the latter category. It is also important to differentiate between value addition and innovation in this regard. The recent rapid development in IT sector in all countries has provided a technological dimension which can be capitalized upon by universities in keeping with the triple helix model.

Today, universities in many countries are helping business enterprises and start ups by extending research, technical services and advice. These efforts have resulted in faster technical and industrial progress as well as survival of many young enterprises that might have otherwise failed. By helping business enterprises succeed, they can make significant contribution to raise productivity and nurture local development in the area they are located.

However, on their part, the universities can become more effective in contributing to the region/industry development by having a strategic plan. For this, they should explore opportunities to leverage their assets in development of the geographic area or industrial sector, prepare an inventory of activities having impact on development; identify university's assets; support development activities; and map these assets with region or industry development initiatives.

The above scenario demands a multipronged approach by the academia. This may have to be customized on a sectoral/organisational basis. It may be worthwhile initially to target the innovation prone sectors like ICT. The academia may also have to come up with interventions aimed at creating awareness through training programs for local businessman and exposure of local creativity and expertise to MNC's operating in the country.

Incubation activities in universities will have to be enhanced with the products incubated to a degree that an element of immediate commercialisation is visible so that the innovation shy industries are willing to take the risk. The academia will also have to actively pursue policies to build a consensus amongst industry and government on all relevant issues and policies.

"Desperate times call for desperate remedies," is an old saying. Countries viz., South Korea Singapore, China and Malaysia are all eastern societies that have invested heavily in education. Pakistan should do so education and health: What the country is facing today in terms of radicalized mindset and militancy could have been avoided had we not strayed away Quaid's vision of an Islamic welfare state and an educated society.

Balochistan, as the largest province, is awash with strategic assets and is eyed by ambitious powers. This can be forestalled by prophylactic measures of humane education, good governance, and youth employment among others measures.

The proposed setting up of three universities along the CPEC western route while passing through underdeveloped zones need to attract endowments, undertake bold financial investments and generate own finances through pro-active collaboration with industries, technological centers and foreign universities. Jobs should go to locals first and foremost and university degrees should be offered to students who undergo internships and are linked with industrial-technical set ups.

Today, universities in Pakistan and the Muslim world in general are adrift - facing immense challenges in coming to grips with the wrenching changes. Hence it is imperative for them to be in sync with contemporary demands. Universities and industries are co-partners in generating economic growth and technological innovation. At the same time, education in science and humanities are not mutually exclusive for both help raise a balanced, humane and socially vibrant citizenry. Thus, hard and liberal sciences ought to go hand in hand.

Needless to say, education for any nation is a long-term but serious and solid investment. While it may not yield immediate economic dividends, investment in human resources is a sine qua non for meaningful socio-economic uplift. This has been witnessed in the Western world and in some newly industrialised countries.

Illiterate, unhealthy and frustrated 'youth bulge' is like a ticking time bomb; it can become a liability and easily fall prey to toxic ideologies. No nation can progress economically, socially or culturally and earn self-respect without giving top priority to education, technology and innovation. It is said that "if you open school doors then you may close many prison doors."

As Balochistan and K-P-K are fast normalising one would like to pay kudos to the armed forces under General Raheel Sharif for taking bull by the horns in tackling the monster of terrorism. Also, it would be appropriate to honour Dr Mahbubul Haq's ardent wish before his demise that allocation to social services like education and health in Pakistan be raised to 10 per cent of the GDP. All Saarc countries contribute more on education than does Pakistan. This would help in matching 'soft power' with 'hard power' of Pakistan. And universities are one of the primary agents and nodal points for generating 'soft power.' It is hence necessary to keep on striving for educational uplift in Pakistan notwithstanding the formidable challenges ahead.

DR MAQSUDUL HASAN NURI

(The writer is the Head of Department of International Relations, NUML and former President of Islamabad Policy Research Institute)