ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (APP):Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday called for a stronger focus on skills, innovation, technology and employability in Pakistan’s higher education system, saying that academic qualifications must translate into meaningful economic opportunities for young people. Addressing the Beaconhouse International College Convocation, the Chairman Senate said Pakistan’s expanding higher education sector now faced the important task of ensuring that graduates were equipped to meet the demands …
Education must prepare youth for skills, innovation, future of work: Chairman Senate
ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (APP):Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday called for a stronger focus on skills, innovation, technology and employability in Pakistan’s higher education system, saying that academic qualifications must translate into meaningful economic opportunities for young people.
Addressing the Beaconhouse International College Convocation, the Chairman Senate said Pakistan’s expanding higher education sector now faced the important task of ensuring that graduates were equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy and global workplace.
“A degree is a foundation for the future, not the destination,” he said, urging graduates to continue learning, adapt to technological change and develop the practical and professional skills needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence, digital technologies and global connectivity were fundamentally transforming the nature of work.
He stressed that Pakistan must prepare its young people not merely to seek employment but also to become entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and creators of new opportunities.
The Chairman Senate noted that more than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population is below the age of 30, making the country’s youth a major national asset. He emphasized that realizing this potential required greater investment in quality education, skills development, research, entrepreneurship and innovation.
He also highlighted the importance of widening access to quality education, stressing that opportunities for learning and advancement should be available to young people irrespective of their socio-economic circumstances. In this context, he appreciated initiatives aimed at extending educational opportunities to underserved segments of society.
Congratulating the graduating students, their parents and families, the Chairman Senate said their achievement marked the beginning of a new phase of responsibility and opportunity. He urged the graduates to combine professional excellence with integrity and social responsibility and to use their knowledge and international exposure to contribute to Pakistan’s development.
He said Pakistani graduates pursuing careers and further education around the world could also play an important role in strengthening Pakistan’s links with the international community and creating new avenues for cooperation, investment, knowledge exchange and innovation.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani congratulated the graduates and expressed the hope that they would carry forward their education with confidence, purpose and a commitment to making a meaningful contribution to society and the country.
