The interaction between the industry and academia plays a key role in enhancing knowledge and innovation. There will always be a mismatch between the skills and knowledge required at the industry and the graduates produced by the universities unless they both are on the same page.Coordinator to the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) and Chairman of Kyrgyzstan Trade House Meher Kashif Younis expressed these views in a meeting with Chairperson of Punjab Higher Education Commission Dr Shahid Munir.

President of Gold Ring Economic Forum – a strategic think tank – Hasnain Raza was also present on the occasion.Meher Kashif said over the years, the industry-academia collaboration had enhanced knowledge, innovation and played an integral part in the economic growth of developed countries.

He said the linkage between academia and industry played a strategic role in developing critical skills required by the industry (both production and service sector), generation, acquisition, and adoption of knowledge, and in promoting entrepreneurship (start-ups and spin-offs). Similarly, the expansion of market-driven research and innovation at the university level can be utilized at the industrial level to foster commercialization, he added.

Meher Kashif said the industrial-academia linkage (IAL) was not encouraging in Pakistan, as there was a vast gap between the knowledge produced and that required by the industry.The focus of the academia has to be on the current needs and market trends, he added. He said Pakistan's local trade and industry needed effort in competing with the international companies.

Pakistani firms need to compete at both the local and global level. However, there are significant challenges that need to be addressed on priority, he added.Chairperson Dr Shahid Munir said teaching universities required the support of industries in designing their curriculum and support in students/graduates placement.

Research-based universities require the support of industry to channelize their research activities with respect to local needs and to benefit from technological advancement, he added. “Furthermore, entrepreneurial universities require the support of industry in developing business incubation services and promoting entrepreneurship education. However, a university cannot achieve these objectives without support of the industry. Universities create knowledge and unless that knowledge is based on the industrial need, it is of no use.’’

He said research needed to be associated with the current market problems and needs. Thus, without an active role of industry, it was not possible. Moreover, the cooperation and collaboration of academia and industry is crucial for economic growth and sustainability, he added.This collaboration can neither sustain nor develop without intercession from the chambers of commerce, he concluded.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk