Ahsan stresses need for promoting research

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Professor Ahsan Iqbal has emphasised the need for promoting research and innovation, to reap true business potential. Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of new academic block, girls' hostel and student service area at Kala Shah Kaku Campus of University of Health Sciences (UHS), here on Saturday, Ahsan said the government was focusing for economic uplift of the country.
"Pakistan, which was previously known for acts of terrorism, was now being recognized as emerging economy and centre of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A number of countries had shown their interest for becoming part of the CPEC, which was a game-changer," he said.
Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, UHS Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Junaid Sarfaraz Khan, researchers, scientists, faculty members and a large number of students were also present. The minister said, "We must put our country on road to prosperity with the involvement of all the areas and segments." He said that there was 18-hour load-shedding three years ago but now electricity is available 18 hours a day. He said that unprecedented investment had been made in energy sector in the last three years and 10,000 megawatt additional electricity would be added by 2018.
He said the world was reposing confidence in Pakistan and foreign investors would set up their factories in the country. He said the government would produce 20 thousand PhDs in the next 10 years and 10 thousand PhDs would be produced under US-Pak Knowledge Corridor project in top-ranked US universities.
Ahsan Iqbal said that universities being centre of knowledge need to be linked with real economy to shape up true knowledge economy. He said that under Vision 2025, the government would strive to bring Pakistan in top 25 economies of the world. UHS vice-chancellor Professor Dr Junaid Sarfaraz Khan said that new buildings would be constructed at a cost of Rs 813 million under HEC Strengthening of Academic Research Facilities project by July next year. He added that after completion, the UHS would start bachelors and master programs in Special Education, B.Sc, MSc, and PhD in Allied Health Sciences, certificate in Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine, programs in Public Health, Field Epidemiology and Community Outreach, Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine among others.