PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said on Tuesday that the federal government was committed to providing maximum facilities of higher education to the youth and had empowered the Higher Education Commission to render its valuable services in this regard.

He said that only those nations earned a respectable place in the world which made untiring efforts for achieving progress in the fields of science and technology.

He was speaking as chief guest at the third international multidisciplinary research conference on ‘Global Prosperity through Research and Innovation’ held under the aegis of Sarhad University of Science and Technology here at a local hotel.

Sarhad University vice-president Prof Roohullah Khan, vice-chancellor Dr Salimur Rehman, foreign researchers, faculty members and a large number of students were also present on the occasion.

The governor said that the entire world was following the principles of knowledge-based economy and for a country like Pakistan more knowledgeable people with intelligence and skills were needed to find solutions to the existing challenges.

Mr Jhagra said that the higher education was recognised today as a capital investment and was of paramount importance for the economic and social development of the country.

The institutions of higher learning, he said, had the main responsibility of equipping individuals with advanced knowledge and skills required for positions of responsibility in the government, business and other professions. He said that only highly-educated manpower could tackle complex problems of the modern age.

In the end, the governor gave away shields to foreign researchers on behalf of the Sarhad University. Dr Salimur Rehman presented a shield to the governor on this occasion and thanked him for attending the conference.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2016