ISLAMABAD, July 18: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday called for using education as a tool to help reduce inequality and digital divide, and boost learning skills. Speaking at the convocation of Bahria University here, the prime minister urged the graduating students to help the government take Pakistan to new heights. He called for an educational system that could prepare students for the future challenges while “preserving our values”.

“We must recognize that the 21st century belongs to Asia and to accomplish this vision, education has a crucial role to perform,” he told the graduates who were awarded masters degree in Business Administration and Computer Sciences.

He said the government was investing heavily in higher education and skill development to prepare the youth for future challenges and build a brighter and prosperous Pakistan.

The prime minister said only educated workforce would determine the country’s economic progress in an increasingly globalized world.

He reminded the students that as a nation they had a distinct history, traditions, religious, and social and cultural values.

“These values define our nationhood. We must cherish and preserve these values to make the country a truly progressive, moderate, enlightened, developed, and a democratic Islamic country,” he said.

Mr Aziz noted with satisfaction that 90 per cent of the graduating students already had job offers from banking, information technology and telecommunication sectors.

“It has really encouraged me that the economic policies we are implementing are producing results,” he added.

He pointed out that as a result of successful policies of liberalization and deregulation, six cellular companies were now operating in the country, while 26 per cent shares of the PTCL had been sold to the private sector.

“Through our policies, we have created economic activities which are in turn creating job opportunities,” he added.

He said: “Our human resource development strategy is aligned with our economic and social sector policies and reforms.”

The prime minister said the government was focussing on four major areas of education — from macro policy to specialized learning, research and development, and use of information and communication technology.

“The most major change we are undertaking is to bring all technical and vocational institutions under one umbrella to bridge the skill gap that will enable us to meet the domestic demand and harness the huge potential in international markets,” he added.

The prime minister gave away degrees, medals and merit certificates to some 159 students.

He also announced that Rs10 million would be provided from the budget of the Higher Education Commission for the establishment of a marine sciences institute at Gwadar.

Chief of the Naval Staff Shahid Karimullah, the pro- chancellor of Bahria University, also spoke on the occasion.—APP