ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari on Saturday called for strong academia-industry linkages to revive the country’s economy.

The ICCI president, while addressing as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the Techspark exhibition, said that the developed countries had achieved phenomenal economic growth by promoting strong academia-industry linkages and urged to adopt the same approach to promote industrialisation and revive the economy.

The inaugural ceremony of the Techspark exhibition was organised by the Industrial Liaison Office of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).

He further said the close academia-industry linkages would help produce demand-driven students, improve the efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of the industry and manufacture value-added products to boost exports.

He along with IIUI President Dr Hathal Hamoud Alotaibi and the ICCI delegation visited the various stalls set up by the final year students in the exhibition and said that the students had prepared the projects according to the needs of society.

He assured that ICCI will help introduce these students to the concerned industries so that their projects should benefit society.

Furthermore, Mr Bakhtawari also appreciated the role of the Saudi Government in promoting industry and education in Pakistan. IIUI President Dr Hathal Hamoud Alotaibi discussed with him matters pertaining to mutual cooperation and initiatives for academia industry linkages.

Dr Alotaibi said the universities must address the requirements of society and the university had prioritised focusing on research in light of contemporary academic patterns.

He lauded Techspark adding that such exhibitions provide students with opportunities to get introduced to industry.

Moreover, he stressed the need for IIUI to focus on initiating joint ventures with ICCI to build a strong bond between academia and industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Nadeem Ahmed Sheikh, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, IIUI congratulated the organizers for putting up such a remarkable exhibition.

He emphasised the significance of providing a platform for students to showcase their abilities and practical skills while offering industries an opportunity to discover and recruit exceptional talent.

The exhibition provided a productive platform to the students in order to demonstrate their innovative projects and foster their professional development.

Besides, it also offered an opportunity to stakeholders from various industries, institutes, and community members to visit the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at IIUI.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2023