April 25, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 24: The Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Tehmina Daultana on Thursday called upon the universities to reshape their curriculum and teaching methods, particularly in their technical programme in order to focus more on research and development.

“We need to educate our youth to meet the global challenges of international job market. Text book knowledge alone is not enough to withstand competitive international environment which requires such educated people are well-groomed, confident and fully conversant with communication, linguistic, computer and technological skills,” Ms Daultana said in her remarks at the two-day international symposium on biometric and security technologies which ended at the Bahria University Islamabad on Thursday.

There is a need to establish facilities like ‘science parks’ and technology incubators where students and faculties could work in areas pertaining to industry. These would help inculcate research potential in students and would also lead to collaboration between universities and industries which are direly needed for the industrial growth of the country, she said.

On its part, the government would provide funds and facilitate such academic initiatives, she pledged.

Tehmina Daultana said education was the most effective mean of socio-economic development of the country, and in fact it was termed as an important engine of the growth.

She commended Bahria University for taking the initiative to organise the international symposium on biometrics and security technologies and inviting foreign and local experts in the field.

It would provide an excellent platform to scientists to deliberate on this vital subject which had immense application in today’s security environment, the minister believed.

She also appreciated the Bahria University for making the institution well known for its credible and quality education.

On the concluding day, the symposium heard speakers from Australia, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Pakistan.