ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal discussed collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, including setting up a modern university in Pakistan.

Mr Iqbal, who is on a visit to the United Sates, held discussions with leading figures of the institute during a meeting.

According to a statement issued by the ministry here on Thursday, he met the quantum astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, Associate Department Head of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr Mavalvala is a member of the team that announced the scientific milestone of detecting gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by Albert Einstein.

Quantum astrophysicist was congratulated for her scientific milestone

Mr Iqbal congratulated the scientist on her success and discussed opportunities for collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He also met Bill Aulet, managing director of the Martin Trust Centre for MIT Entrepreneurship.

The centre is responsible for entrepreneurship across all five schools at Massachusetts Institute of Technology starting with education but extending well outside the classroom with student clubs, conferences, competition, networking events, etc.

The minister presented his book and discussed ideas to promote entrepreneurship in Pakistani universities so that the country’s youth could become job creators instead of job seekers. The minister also met Prof Richard Lester, Associate Provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

He told Prof Richard, “We are launching a campaign on Productivity, Quality and Innovation for making Pakistan a competitive economy.” Meanwhile, Mr Iqbal also met with Pakistani students at Kennedy School, Harvard University.

He apprised them about the improvement Pakistan was making year by year.

“We need to have confidence in ourselves and keep a sustained effort,” he remarked.

The minister highlighted salient features of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and offered them full assistance in working on Pakistan-related projects.

Dr Asim Khawaja, Professor of Public Policy at Kennedy School, hosted the meeting.

He is one of the few Pakistani American academicians in top US universities.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2016