ISLAMABAD:National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that 150-million young people are Pakistan’s greatest asset and utilizing this potential appropriately would help achieve socio-economic development of the country.
He said the aforesaid objective could only be realized through providing access to high-quality education and skill development in the country.
He expressed these views while addressing the International Virtual Conference on Pakistan-United Kingdom (UK) Education Gateway through video link, here on Tuesday.
Addressing the conference, the Speaker said the government is fully committed to the cause and aims to generate an educated workforce, build empathy and tolerance and rapidly improve Pakistan’s positioning in the global market.
He said a substantial allocation of Rs160 million had been made as an investment in our youth’s development through the Knowledge Economy.
He commended the tremendous work done by the British High Commission and the British Council Pakistan in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in building opportunities for the advancement of higher education, research and development.
Appreciating the launch of GREAT awards and British Council STEM schemes this year, adding to the number of awards for Pakistani students, the Speaker said it would largely impact the education and skills development in Pakistan.
He expressed gratitude towards the joint team executing this brilliant 9- Million-pound project – the British council and the HEC. “Your work deeply impresses me, and I feel proud of the achievements of the Pak-UK Education Gateway and its rapid response to uncertain times of 2020”, he added.
Sharing his work experience with British Council education team while he was Speaker provincial Assembly, Asad Qaiser said that the British Council team kept the connection alive and made the KP government able to scale up the wonderful work around schools, skills, universities, governance and capacity building of senior leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said British Council’s support to skills sector development was a great support for Skill for all, around accreditation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutes and apprenticeships in much appreciated.
He said that he was sure that these programmes will help create pathways between the higher Education and skills sector and ultimately benefit our young talent which we are proud of.
The Speaker said Pakistani students would greatly benefit by enhanced number of scholarships for Pakistan this year the UK government and British Council. He said that launch of new research links between Pakistan and UK universities was also a commendable effort by the British council.
He said it is in area which is very important in making this world better by involving science and research for solving our problems of today and tomorrow.
Concluding his address, the Speaker said he felt proud and optimistic that the upcoming journey of this project and what many feats it will achieve to enable the youth of this country.
He extended his unwavering support saying,” I hope to see us all flourish in the outcomes of the Pak-UK Education Gateway”.