Daily Times

Sir: Pakistan is producing degree-holders rather than real engineers. Despite having so many PhDs, postgraduates and graduates, our country is technologically backward. Education has become a business rather than a noble profession. The dilemma of engineering universities in Pakistan is that universities and industries are running on opposite tracks. Meagre resources are being utilised due to financial restraints and a myopic approach of industrialists. In the modern world, universities are linked with industry so that they can take on challenges. Industries in other countries assign research-based projects to university students so that they can enhance their technical skills according to the prevailing scenario. Consequently, students also get benefits and are offered good jobs after completing their graduation. Unfortunately, none of the engineering universities in Pakistan has any collaboration with industry. Here students are working on enthralling projects like drive-by-wire vehicles, Quadcopters, robots, solar-powered planes and vehicles. Surprisingly, on practical grounds, they do not find any room to exploit their potential because our industry is running on a retrogressive path.

Industrialists are just importing goods and parts. They assemble them, making tangible profits without spending even a single penny on research and development. Indigenisation is a murky phenomenon in our country. This, in return, results in joblessness, making our country more vulnerable. The authorities concerned should start collaborating with our fragile industry so that we can fortify ourselves morally, technically and educationally.

It is an age of technical education and only those nations are sovereign that are technically strong and well equipped with modern skills and knowledge. This way we can help boost our weak economy and can make Pakistan an Asian tiger in due course.

M FAHAD RAMZAN

Lahore