‘Trump requests Asia & Europe to train US workforce’

This is apropos a letter to the Editor from this writer carried by the newspaper on Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday.

For a genuine renaissance, the United States must rebuild an entire ecosystem of innovation. That means investing heavily in research and development, raising public and private R&D spending back toward the 3–4 percent of GDP levels that once fueled its leadership. It means reforming education to emphasize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from the earliest levels, while also revitalizing trade schools and vocational programs.

It requires partnerships between universities, industries, and government to create hubs where innovation is tied directly to production. And it demands immigration policies that attract, not repel, the brightest minds from across the globe. Without this, inviting foreign trainers will only delay the inevitable decline.

There are lessons here not just for the United States but for the developing world as well. Nations in South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, including Pakistan, must recognize that industrial and educational neglect leads to dependency and decline.

Trump’s words, though spoken for America, apply universally: without a strong base in research, training, and industry, no nation can secure its independence or its future. For Pakistan, the warning is urgent. It must align its education system with critical industries like electronics, semiconductors, rail technology, and advanced machinery if it hopes to avoid perpetual reliance on others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025