KARACHI: Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair spoke about the need for higher education, in particular liberal arts education, in an interactive session with students at the Habib University on Thursday.

The governor stated that the liberal arts model is the only one which produces well-rounded individuals with a multitude of skills. The discussion centred on the need for a more integrated approach when it comes to higher education in Pakistan, as well as the government’s role in certain key issues in Karachi.

According to Quacquarelli Symonds, a British ranking agency, Pakistan currently holds one of the lowest ranks when it comes to higher education in liberal arts, ranking at 50.

“Education has always been close to my heart,” he observed.

With experience of teaching at IBA for six years, Zubair expressed his pleasure at arriving on the city campus of the Habib University.

He stated that youngsters are the most important segment of society, and made a compelling argument about the fact that we have never needed interdisciplinary education more than we do now.

“Liberal arts give leaders to society; with their multifaceted background they are able to face every situation head on and tackle it from every aspect.”

With the current unrest and growing political turmoil faced by the global community, it has become essential that students have a basic understanding of a number of skills, such as social issues, the impact of technology and are armed with the ability to look critically at every situation.

A liberal arts background produces individuals who are able and willing to consider an issue from every angle before creating a solution which benefits the maximum amount of people.

“My number one objective is to ensure the revival of the economy. We need more private investors who are willing to devote themselves to our education industry,” he said.

The governor spoke about Karachi’s role at Pakistan’s inception, which was the leader in economic growth due to private sector investment.

He stated that he aims to bring back that kind of growth, and asserted that it is not far off, since the law and order situation has also come under control.

Zubair also expressed his delight at being surrounded by such a large group of students who he believed are fully capable of being the leaders of tomorrow.

Students asked about how they could get directly in touch with government officials for projects and information, to which he replied, “I can offer Governor House’s services for any help. We are more than happy to be the focal point for students.”

He also invited students for an interactive session at Governor House to discuss everything from waste in Karachi to CPEC.

“I was thinking of what to do when I am done with this job; I have an option here, so I can come back as a visiting professor,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017