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Business Recorder
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Academia and industry in Pakistan: two planets speaking different languages
I still vividly recall the days of 2011 when I enrolled in a French language class at Lahore's National University of Modern Languages (NUML). Studying the world's fifth most popular language was an enjoyable experience. The rules of the language are different from English, with many conjugations and a rich vocabulary with words having strange accents. I enjoyed the taste of this new language. After about 14 years, I can remember only a few words and rules of the French language, as I could not practice French in Pakistan. And that's not unusual. Since I joined academia in 2017, I started to learn another language used exclusively in academia. The language of course and program learning objectives, academic writing, publications, research proposals, and funding proposals. During an academic semester, faculty is busy with preparing and marking quizzes, assignments, exams, and projects. This isolated ecosystem operates in its own linguistic and functional domain as an academic semester is replete with the activities in the language of academia, and one living in this ecosystem gets an occasional chance to meet with the people speaking the language of industry. The title of a book has always attracted me: 'Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.' The title resonates much with the current situation of academia and industry; both are living on different planets, at least in Pakistan. In developed countries, a common habitat is established and nurtured. Both parties can coexist, interact, and cooperate there. But in a country like Pakistan, there is no common habitat; they continue to live on their own planets and speak their languages. Despite a strong will and desire to create a common habitat for industry-academic interaction, there are no remarkable success stories. Both planets, while orbiting around the sun (symbolizing the government), rotate in their orbits and only sometimes get an opportunity for alignment. On such rare occasions, academia and industry meet, perhaps in a conference or collaborative discussion. These meetings are usually cordial, filled with attempts to understand each other's perspectives. But as quickly as they arrive, these moments pass, and both return to their respective silos and get busy in their operations. Depending on its current priorities, the government may step in as an intermediary and catalyst at this moment of alignment. In developed countries, the two coexist within a shared ecosystem. The so-called triple helix model exists and thrives there, while in developing countries like Pakistan, only the jargon is used without any meaningful action plan. I met an industry guy a few days back. He was originally from the planet Academia but jumped to the planet Industry once both planets aligned. He candidly remarked that academia in Pakistan is not only bogged down in activities purely related to semester work but also happy to remain in this cycle. Since the industry in Pakistan is not thriving, academia gets a valid excuse for not leaving the planet. On the other hand, the industry is busy tackling their productivity issues and expects solutions to their problems instantaneously without feeling the need to invest in research and development. They don't trust academia, and academia doesn't bother to endure the pain of talking a foreign language and going to unfavourable territories. The government often tries to create a middle ground but unfortunately has a lot of other unnecessary tasks always at hand, putting industry-academia linkage on the back burner. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Pakistan launches many funding opportunities for academia, including the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU), Grand Challenge Fund, Technology Transfer Fund, etc., with an essential requirement to have industrial partners to qualify for the fund. Academia, to fetch these opportunities, tries to learn and speak the language of industry and tries to understand their problems. But it is startling to know that there is no tangible, verifiable, and bankable record of the contribution of academia towards solving the industrial problems, even with HEC. If there are any success stories at all, the record is generally not made public because of insecurities and so-called breaches of information. In a massive effort by the government of Pakistan, multiple National Centres of Excellence (artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing, cybersecurity, robotics and automation, etc.) were inaugurated in 2017 to make a common habitat for academia and industry. After years of inception and work, clear and verifiable results are not known to either academia or industry. There might be some success stories, but no breakthrough and grandeur tale to tell. The majority of academia continues to speak their language and refuses to switch to the other. Industry complains about academicians' bookish approach, and academia complains about industry's non-cooperative behaviour and demand for solutions overnight. The government enjoys looking at both parties blaming and tries to provide some opportunities to both whenever it gets a relief from other pressing matters in the name of reviving the Triple Helix model. The story continues without much result, as Pakistan ranks 91st in the Global Innovation Index, and the top university ranks 315th in the world QS ranking of higher education institutes. While standing at the 110th position in the Global Competitiveness Index, if Pakistan wants to excel, a few essential steps might be as under: • Academia needs to understand the importance of understanding the language of industry and should not abstain from learning it. • Academia needs to come out of its comfort zone and match the expectations of industry, especially during the summer semester, when faculty may get some time from their regular academic routine. Current industry placement programmes for faculty by the universities are not enough to make it happen. • Industry should establish connections with academia and share their problems while continuing to get quick-fix solutions from abroad to solve their immediate problems until a local solution is available. • The government should accord priority to act as a catalyst for industry-academia linkage if Pakistan's academia and industry fail to speak and understand each other's languages, the country risks slipping so far behind the global innovation curve, that catching up may one day become an impossible dream. (The writer is a professor at the Department of Engineering Management, NUST) Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Art can help revive reading culture'
Students browse through a wide range of Urdu fiction and non-fiction titles looking for their next summer read at a stall at the Spring Festival held in NUML, Islamabad. PHOTO: ONLINE Promoting book culture through visual art is a creative and powerful way to revive the habit of reading among the younger generation, said the Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairperson, Dr Najeeba Arif. She was speaking at the closing ceremony of the painting exhibition organised by the Punjab Council of the Arts (PUCAR), Rawalpindi. The exhibition, themed distinguished culture of books, was attended by art lovers, students, and dignitaries. Dr Arif, the chief guest of the ceremony, lauded the efforts of the organisers and participating artist Muhammad Qasim. She said that the exhibition was a remarkable tribute to our society's literary and intellectual heritage. Punjab Arts Council Director, Sajjad Hussain, also addressed the ceremony and appreciated the artist Muhammad Qasim for his profound interpretations of the theme. The senior artist Muhammad Azeem Iqbal, Senior poet Farkhanda Shamim, Younis Roomi, Shami Chandia, and Shafique ur Rehman. Deputy Director Muhammad Shakoor and Assistant Director Waqar Ali were also present. The exhibition served as a meaningful platform to celebrate the intersection of visual art and literature, leaving a lasting impression on all attendees.
Express Tribune
23-04-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
World Book Day passes quietly in twin cities
Students browse through a wide range of Urdu fiction and non-fiction titles looking for their next summer read at a stall at the Spring Festival held in NUML, Islamabad. PHOTO: ONLINE While World Book Day was observed globally on April 23, the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad marked the occasion with silence, as no events or activities were held to promote reading. The day, which originated in Spain in 1616 and was officially declared "World Book Day" by UNESCO's General Council in 1995, aims to foster a love for reading and honour authors who produce quality literature. However, the reading culture in the region continues to decline sharply. According to the Urdu Bazaar Booksellers Union in Rawalpindi, readership across genresincluding religious, historical, political, humorous, educational, and fictionhas dwindled significantly. Where once dozens of readers would visit daily, only a handful now show up, with many browsing without buying. The union attributes this decline to the growing dominance of religious, political, and humorous content on social media, which has replaced traditional reading habits. Another major factor is the rising cost of paper, which has made books increasingly expensive. According to the union, it is now rare to find a well-regarded book priced under Rs2,000. Due to this trend, many booksellers in Urdu Bazaar have shifted their business focus to selling textbooks, notebooks, and stationery. Although major vendors still stock religious, historical, and political literature, sales have dropped to negligible levels. In the past, Rawalpindi's Saddar area used to see vibrant book stalls set up every Sunday outside shuttered shops, where people of all ages would browse through piles of books laid out on footpaths. These stalls, once a bustling attraction, have now disappeared. Until the 1990s, more than half of Saddar's sidewalks were occupied by booksellers. What was once a profitable business has nearly vanished due to a lack of buyers. From 1947 to 2000, Rawalpindi had 13 libraries located along Murree Road, Saddar, Liaquat Bagh, and Saidpur Road. Today, only two public libraries remain: the Municipal Library and the Cantonment Board Library.
Express Tribune
22-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Man disappears with father's money
A unique incident has been reported in the Dhamial area of Rawalpindi, where a man living in Saudi Arabia for 45 years claims that his son disappeared mysteriously after receiving Rs10 million from him. The father, who had come to Pakistan on vacation, discovered that his son and the money were missing and subsequently registered a case at the police station. The police have launched an investigation into the matter. According to the Dhamial police, Javed Iqbal stated that he has only one son, Abdullah Khan. Iqbal has been working in Saudi Arabia for nearly 45 years and came to Pakistan on vacation on February 4, 2025. However, just a few days before his arrival, his son went missing after learning of his father's return to Pakistan. During his time working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Iqbal's son informed him that he was studying at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) and wished to pursue higher education in Australia. Abdullah had told his father that the expenses for his studies in Australia would amount to about Rs10 million. Since he had only one son, Iqbal never imagined that his own child would deceive him. Trusting his son's intentions, Iqbal sent the full amount of Rs10 million for his education in Australia. However, when Iqbal informed his son that he was returning to Pakistan, Abdullah disappeared with the money before his father's arrival. Iqbal has been searching for his son on his own ever since but has not been able to locate him.
