Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Saturday that investment in education was the best investment any nation can make in any sector. He was speaking at the golden jubilee ceremony of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). Sindh governor, faculty members, alumni and IBA students were also present on the occasion. The Prime Minister said it was the policy of the government to upgrade higher education system and bring it at par with advanced countries. He appreciated IBA's plans to get affiliations of world's top educational institutions and that it must exchange faculty and students and have shared programmes.
"That will make us better. I am so glad to hear that. We must be open as the world was globalising. We cannot hide behind high walls," he noted. The Prime Minister said the human capital of Pakistan was no less than any other country in the world. "This I can say with a confidence. We just need opportunity," he said.
He said the government's vision of Pakistan was to see it as a developed, progressive, modern, tolerant, enlightened democratic Islamic state. "A Pakistan that provides peace, prosperity and security to its people," he added.
He pointed out that the government has endeavoured hard during the last six years under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf to achieve synergies in six elements of state craft to achieve harmony.
"These are: economic sovereignty, smooth functioning political process, good governance, internal security, credible defence and effective diplomacy," the Prime Minister added.
He said Pakistan was strategically located at the cross-road of South Asia, East Asia as well as West Asia, Pakistan can be a hub of economic activity by exploiting this opportunity with multiple corridors of oil, gas, trade and transportation, he said.
Shaukat Aziz said reforms based on three pillars, including liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation were bearing better results. He said with the growth rate of 8.35 percent this year, Pakistan will be in the top five growth countries of the Asia.
He said Pakistan can go higher and higher. "Sky was the limit if we continue to follow these things coupled with the meritocracy," he said.
He said the government attaches very high importance to social sector reforms, better education, healthcare and gender balance because healthy and educated nation is the better nation, he observed.
He said challenges were to sustain the momentum of development and growth, training of manpower to empower with the world-class skill to enable them to compete.
He said business, industry and agriculture, all these sectors have to play a pivotal role in developing the country.
Giving advice to the faculty and students of IBA, he said one of the key criteria of success was integrity followed by different hard work.
He also suggested them to learn to be at peace with themselves to excel. "Doors will be opened to you and you will succeed," he noted. He said the government was trying to practice meritocracy in the country.
Sharing some of his memories during education at the IBA, he said IBA was an island of excellence in Pakistan. "It has always been that and will always be, because it practices meritocracy, it teaches good value and to be competitive and it moulds your personality rather than teaches you a few subjects, It creates a feeling of meritocracy in you," he said.
The Prime Minister announced an initial grant of Rs 35 million for the construction of new library. He also advised IBA to raise funds for the library from rich alumni because the largest donors of the biggest universities are the alumni.
Earlier, IBA director Danishmand, in his welcome address, talked about various development programme of the institute.
Comments
Comments are closed.