ISLAMABAD: The Millennium University College (TMUC) in collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, on Tuesday organised the Transnational Industry-Academia Partnership for Entrepreneurship and Employability Symposium in an effort to bridge the gap between industry and the academia at TMUC Auditorium, H-11/4, Islamabad. This symposium aims at providing a platform for academia-industry alliances where academia and industry representatives guide participants with their views concerning the scope and impact of transnational education. Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan attended event as the chief guest. The guest panel comprised intellectuals, academics, policymakers and entrepreneurs, including Stuart Smith director International Partnerships at University of Hertfordshire, UK, Head of ACCA Pakistan Sajjeed Aslam, Board of Investments Chairman Naeem Zamindar, Nayatel Chairman Rashid Ali Khan, GE President & CEO Sarim Sheikh and TMUC Pakistan Founder and Chief Executive Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq. The audience was mainly represented by working professionals, representatives of industrial sector, academicians, students of professional accountancy qualifications and business and accountancy fraternity. During the discussing, Sajjeed Aslam maintained that the lack of ethics was causing disruption in the industry. “We must build work ethics and develop a curriculum that creates a workforce that knows how to manage work-life integration”. Addressing education providers in Pakistan, Stuart Smith stressed the need to continually evolve and prepare students to leave the university and step straight into the workplace. Praising the Pakistani youth for their ability to find innovative solutions that bend the rules, Naeem Zamindar said: “This ability should be developed as it sets us apart.” All the speakers agreed that the academia and the industry shared a symbiotic relationship. “Academia produces graduates who are absorbed by industry. Such workshops or specialist meetings organised by academics can be an excellent source of new ideas as they bring together experts to discuss the state of-the-art and potential research agendas,” they said. In his closing remarks, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan complimented TMUC leadership, staff and panellists for offering a discussion that was cerebral, relevant and substantive. Addressing the youth in the audience, he said: “Pakistan is at the cusp of an economic revolution and so there is no need for dejection, be confident that they can transform things as they are today.” In his address, Chief Executive Roots Millennium Schools and The Millennium University College Faisal Mushtaq said: “With innovation at an all-time high, and drivers such as digitisation and globalisation influencing the future, the opportunities for generation next are significant. Professional accountants throughout the world are uniquely placed to help organisations create sustainable growth and prosperity in the global economy. Yet adding to this equation are the ambitions of today’s young workforce, the stakes for the attraction, engagement, development, and retention of the youngest generation in the profession today are high.” Published in Daily Times, February 7th 2018.