SWABI, April 7: The NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said that no country could make progress without a solid technological foundation.

He was addressing the participants at an industrial open house who had come from national and multinational companies/industries, faculty members and students of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology here on Monday.

The governor said that all developing countries, including Pakistan, strive to achieve a breakthrough in the technological field, and this would only be possible if experts and scholars work hard.

He said that in the past, developed world had never transferred latest technology to developing countries. Stressing on the need for technological research, he said most of the research work done in the country was not up to the standard.

He said: “In view of the rapid technological advancement it is important to bring our indigenous resources in our own use. Businesses today require professionals capable of assessing technological needs and conscious of its impact on socio-economic development.”

The governor inaugurated the two-days open house and visited the central workshop where graduating students made presentations of their final-year projects.

While appreciating the graduate programme (MS & PhD) in engineering sciences and technology launched by the institute in August 2001, he said that one of the major goals of the institute was to transform itself into a research and development centre for the industrial sector.

He said that the employment ratio of the graduates of the institute was 85 to 90 per cent.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr M. Naseer Khan, SI, Rector, GIK Institute said that the NWFP government had taken various steps and introduced reforms to improve the system of higher education to improve the quality of education. He said, three new universities opened 16 new colleges and upgraded a good number of colleges to the postgraduate level.

He said, new bachelor’s and mater’s level courses in computer science have been introduced in a large number of colleges in the NWFP.

The convener of the open house Iqbal Qureshi said that 57 companies/industries from all over the country have sent their representative to the event. Last year the number was 43.