THIS is apropos of the letter ‘Talent needs industry’s patronage’ (June 13).

The writer has rightfully asked the authorities concerned to start collaborating with our industry. There is a big disconnect between our engineering universities and our industries, while the universities have to take the blame. Engineering universities in the West have a close liaison with their industry and do research at a fraction of the industry’s own research cost.

It is a win-win situation as students work on live issues and get trained in the process; professors get additional income and universities get funds to meet their overheads.

Marley, the world’s biggest and 100- year-old cooling tower manufacturer, based in Kansas City, got its research done through Texas A and M Engineering University based in Austin, Texas.

Marley have their state of the art research centre which they use too. Our engineering universities are still producing engineers on the assembly line who operate with a ‘Learners’ tag hanging plastered on their foreheads for several years.

Learners cannot help the local industry until they spend years in training, incurring heavy cost for the industry and testing their patience. They rely on draftsman to make drawings, illiterate technicians to troubleshoot and overhaul equipment, machines and operators to run the plants.

Unlike engineers, business graduates from IBA and LUMS can be put directly on the job and they start hitting the targets from ball one. Do engineering universities really know what our industry wants? Do they realise that while business graduates rise to middle management positions in about 10 to 12 years, their produce drag to such positions in 15 to 17 years.

Many multinational and local companies in Pakistan are run by MBAs who hire engineers. Very seldom would you find a company run by engineers hiring an MBA. If a fresh MBA is trained to carry the baton from anyone with equal speed, why can’t engineers be cultivated to do the same?

S. NAYYAR IQBAL RAZA Karachi