Abstract
Universities are supposed to be engines of innovative ideas and research; besides promoting high quality education and research they assist in national growth and development. Overpopulation, along with measly spending on health, education and social welfare has relegated many Muslim countries to the bottom of the global pile. Illiteracy and militancy have thus spawned and become rampant—allied with adverse international factors. It is said that the total number of universities in the Muslim world (nearly 700 or so) are lesser than that of Japan alone. The national budget for education earmarked is below 2 per cent, whereas according to the UN requirement, it should be minimum 6 percent of GNP. Experts recommend at least 10 per cent for the next decade or so if Pakistan is to cast off the albatross of poverty, ill-health and illiteracy. The plight faced by most of Pakistani universities is that they are woefully starved of funds, talent and other facilities. To overcome, research, value-added items, academia-industry-defence linkages, disruptive innova- tions, new technologies in IT, biosciences and genetics are needed. As leading edge of research activity, the universities should capitalize on their alumni intellectually and financially and national diaspora and prevent brain drain through well-regulated retention policies. Universities should focus upon or around industrial nodal points and award degrees on linkages with industry. These will assist in forging much-needed needed skills, promoting educational standards, instilling self-reliance and contribute to building a knowledge-based society. Ipso facto, this would contribute to overall national socio-economic development.
