LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Promotion for Education in Pakistan Foundation (PEPF), New York, and various universities will set up Student Startup Business Centres (SSBC) to fund selected projects of intelligent students to provide them self-employment opportunities and facilitate them starting their own business.

An announcement to the effect was made at the National Forum on Higher Education 2015, jointly organised by the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies and PEPF at Pervez Hassan Environmental Law Auditorium here on Thursday.

HEC chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said efforts must be made to bridge the gap between academia and industry as both were talking different languages. He said the HEC had promoted research culture in the institutions of higher learning because of which ranking of Pakistani universities was improving worldwide.

During the last year, he said, Pakistani researchers had produced 8,000 impact factor publications. “It is now time to think that whether our research is solving the problems of our society,” he said and added that the HEC would fund such projects which would help solve social problems.

He said equal educational opportunities should be provided to every child everywhere in the country, including Fata, to ensure prosperity in Pakistan. He said that last year, the government released funds to the HEC according to its commitment.

Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran lauded the idea of setting up SSBCs and said with the support of the HEC and universities, the project would be a success story.

PEPF President Dr Khalid Iqbal said Pakistani universities were producing graduates in a big number and the students were facing problems because of unemployment. He said the idea to set up SSBCs was to provide entrepreneurship opportunities to the students so that they could become employer instead of seeking employment.

He said that under SSBC, 30 universities had sent their letters of intent and 5-10 awards worth Rs6 million each would be given. He said Rs2 million each would be provided by the PEPF, New York, the HEC and the university concerned.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play