GLOBAL EDUCATION DIALOGUE BEGINS AT LAHORE

Lahore: 3-day International Conference on Higher Education Global Policy Dialogue and Knowledge Parks has been convened today at a local hotel. More than 150 delegates of different world acclaimed universities from 15 countries are participating in the conference held under auspices of the Punjab government in collaboration with the British Council Pakistan.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan presided over the inaugural session of the conference. Parliamentary Secretary on Higher Education Ms. Mehwish Sultana, Secretary High Education Punjab Abdullah Khan Sumbal accompanied him while Director Education for South Asia Ms. Michelle Potts represented the British Council.

Addressing to the inaugural session, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan welcomed the foreign delegates of the conference on behalf of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and said, it was a reflection of confidence of international community in the progressive policies of Punjab government in education sector.

He said that Pakistan Muslim League-N leadership wants to promote research culture in the province which needs innovation in transfer of knowledge and genuine research in collaboration with the rest of the world.

He said, knowledge boundaries are crossing each other and Punjab government has decided to get benefit from the knowledge exchange mechanism introduced by the British Council are the members of Common Wealth countries. He said the research activities are essential to discover unique aspects of any particular problems confronted by the human society to facilitate the common lot through catalyzing the socio-economic development of any society.

We are ready to share best practices and knowledge across the world while the Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has envisioned a Knowledge Park over 850 acres of land in Lahore where seven world class universities will establish their campuses.

The Minister disclosed that six mega universities of the world have given consent to set up their campuses in the Knowledge Park and agreements in this regard would be signed in a ceremony to be held on May 09, 2014 in the presence of Provincial Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. He thanked the Director British Council Pakistan Peter Upton and Director British Council Lahore Richard Meiyers for facilitating the process.

British Council’s Director Education for South Asia Ms. Michelle Potts in her address emphasized the need to remove cultural barriers in research work by the female component of the society as the development and progress of the whole region of South Asia was dependent on the knowledge economy. She said the British Council has completed technical training of 98 percent vice chancellors and directors of quality assurance after which arrangements for the technical training of Deans, Registrars and heads of different academic departments would be finalized.

During the current month, 40 school educators will be sent to UK for imparting 2-week technical training, she added.

Director Professional Networks, Association of Common Wealth Dorothy Garland, Executive Dean University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland Prof. Anthony McGrew, Professors of Indian Institute of Technology Dr. Vibha Arora and Ayesha Iqbal presented their research papers in the technical session on the subjects of research networks in South Asia and exploitation of the “Emotional Capital” of South Asia for bringing both the neighboring countries closer to each other for the larger interest of the common lot living in both the countries.