Since the independence of Pakistan, our nation has never been able to overcome its economic problems. In terms of GDP, Pakistan’s service sector contributes the highest then comes agriculture and the last is Industrial/ manufacturing sector. This is the main difference between us and countries like Germany, Japan, China and many others. These war torn countries developed after they invested heavily and brought reforms in their educational and industrial sectors. Time and again Pakistan had to go to donors; IMF and other financial institutions to get a breather and this will keep on happening unless we address the root cause of the problem and bring some basic changes to our industrial and educational approach. Academicians and industrialists have brought up the issue repeatedly of bridging the gap between industry and academia. However reality speaks for itself.
Over a period of time universities have become money minting machines and quality of education has declined drastically. Many young students enrolled in different programs of university don’t even know what they are doing and why they are doing it. I am not saying that universities should not charge hefty amounts, rather in my opinion the money is not smartly spent by the student.
On the other hand, industrial sector is also not showing a bright picture rather a very gloomy one. Brain drain happening these days is an eye opener for our policy makers. There are other factors as well for this brain drain but our industries have also played a very negative role for this loss. They have failed miserably to give skills, professionalism and most importantly hope to our youth.
All is not lost. We can still get on the right path. Both academia and industrial sector have to get out of their comfort zone. An apologue of the boiling frog fits here perfectly. If a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is set in normal temperature water that is brought slowly to a boil, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. Our inability or unwillingness to change will slowly and surely end into catastrophic disaster.
Our educational system believes in quantity not in quality. We have to stop living in a fool’s paradise. Sooner the better we should come out of it. Our academia is producing forced labor. Youth is forced to do jobs which are being provided to them rather doing what they are good at. Hardly have we seen right man for the right job. Engineering graduates start dropping CVs to every technical job vacancy related to the course out line they studied in universities. The moment they get a job offer they join without knowing the outcome of what it will lead to. On-job learning starts and that becomes their career. In most scenarios, the potential of attaining excellence is lost because of choosing the wrong career path in the beginning.
Our universities are failing to polish the hidden skillset and even kill the seeds of entrepreneurship which many of the youth possess. Instead they are tailored into job seekers.
Often we see and read about MOUs being signed between different universities and chamber of Commerce’s. Engineering universities regularly take students on industrial visits. While these visits are important but are not sufficient alone. Our educational system needs experienced industrialists and they should come forward and join hands with academia.
Nearly one to two years of planning is required to set up a small to medium sized industry. Instead of importing machinery directly and putting pressure on exchequer, industries can collaborate/ask universities to provide a better or an equivalent solution.
Industries have to come forward one step and academia has to accept open heartedly that they have forgotten the meaning of Final Year Project (FYP). If proper requirements are provided to universities, they could come up with solutions and these final year projects can become the required products.
Universities and industries need to join hands for the “Final Year Project” in a way that not only fulfills the educational needs of a student but also cater to the industrial requirements.
University focus should not only be the completion of required credit hours for the degree. They should also work on professional development of young minds, build confidence and self-belief. Just by changing final year project to final year PRODUCT, it would slow our free fall; rather it could prove to be a reverse gear for declining educational and industrial sector.
The student should create or reengineer something based on market’s demand which they could sell, if not their degrees should be withheld for some time. It does not mean that they should re-invent the wheel. Wheel was already invented long time back. The approach should be to think out of the box and make it efficient.
Universities should place spotters in 4thand 5th semester to find a potential entrepreneur .Mostly at the end of the 6th semester or in the beginning of the 7th semester universities are allocating FYPs. This is the right time to find and invest in the potential entrepreneur. Courses on Entrepreneurship should be offered to engineering students.
Universities should inculcate INTERDISCIPLINARY approach for their final year projects. The final year project is developed as a product by a technical team; & managed and marketed by a management team. A startup is born before graduation.
Products produced by these young entrepreneurs will gradually decrease our import bill and eventually increase our exports.
This is how we can make way for a new industrial revolution, let us all join hands and believe in “Made in Pakistan” which is also the need of the hour and probably the only way out.