The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has underscored the critical importance of robust collaboration between industry and academia for the promotion of entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development in Pakistan.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, President ICCI, along with Senior Vice President Abdul Rehman Siddiqui and Vice President Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry, emphasized that in today’s era of start-ups, incubators, and innovation-driven enterprises, it is imperative for educational institutions and industrial sectors to work hand in hand.
They stated that such synergy is essential to equip graduating students with the practical knowledge, entrepreneurial mindset, and industry-relevant skills needed to establish successful business ventures. “Pakistan needs more job creators than job seekers.
This can only be achieved if universities and industries jointly guide students to transform their ideas into viable enterprises,” said Nasir Mansoor.
Highlighting ICCI’s active role, he noted that the Chamber has already signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with several leading universities in the region to strengthen industry-academia coordination. As part of its initiative, ICCI has proposed that universities allow final-semester students to engage with chambers of commerce and be placed in industries matching their academic background and interests. This hands-on exposure would prepare them to become entrepreneurs who contribute meaningfully to national growth.
He reiterated that ICCI is fully committed to promoting entrepreneurship and is ready to extend all-out cooperation to the government and educational institutions to create a productive ecosystem that supports innovation, industrial development, and job creation.
“The future of our economy depends on how effectively we nurture our youth by connecting their academic training with real-world industrial demands,” he added. The ICCI leadership called upon all stakeholders, policymakers, academia, and the private sector to join hands in fostering a knowledge-based economy where entrepreneurial ventures become the backbone of national development.