President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday reiterated firm commitment of the government to accord topmost priority to promotion of higher education in the country.
He called upon the heads of the universities to focus on bringing out latest and quality research in all fields and to develop an educational system that is more compatible with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy in the country.
The president said this during his meeting with the 3rd group of heads of leading universities and degree awarding institutes of the country at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The heads of universities who called on the president included GIK Institute of Engineering, Science & Technology Rector Jahangir Bashar, National Textile University Faisalabad Rector Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad, Karakorum International University Vice Chancellor Dr Najma Najam, Gilgit and Pakistan Institute of Fashion & Design Vice Chancellor Prof Hina Tayyaba.
Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmed was also present during the meeting.
The president said allocation of record all time high budget, Rs 60.369 billion this year for higher education demonstrates the priority the government attaches to the development of higher education sector in country.
The president emphasised the need for focusing on promoting women education at all levels so as to make women strong enough to face the challenges of life and enable them to participate in the decision-making process.
The president urged the heads of the universities to focus on greater collaboration between the universities and the industry to promote research, job creation and preparing the young generation of the country to efficiently meet the requirements of the market besides being able to compete at the global level in various fields.
The president also emphasised the need for developing and strengthening linkages of their respective institutes with the reputed international universities so as to benefit from the global experiences and expertise in various educational fields.
