Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar on Saturday said youth empowerment was essential for achieving sustainable development and lasting peace, adding that the government was taking practical steps to equip young people with modern technical and entrepreneurial skills.
Youth empowerment key to sustainable development, peace: Wajiha Qamar
RAWALPINDI, May 16 (APP): Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar on Saturday said youth empowerment was essential for achieving sustainable development and lasting peace, adding that the government was taking practical steps to equip young people with modern technical and entrepreneurial skills.
She was addressing the closing ceremony of the first module of a Faculty Development Programme (Training of Trainers – TOT) titled “Advancing Social Entrepreneurship in Agriculture for Sustainable Peace Building” held at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR). The programme was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from May 7 to 16.
Wajiha Qamar said integration of technical education, agricultural innovation and social entrepreneurship could generate sustainable employment opportunities for youth. She stressed that collaboration among educational institutions, industry and international organisations was vital for achieving sustainable development and durable peace.
Guest of honour Dr Ahmad Khawar Shahzad, DCO Punjab Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), said sustainable peace building required economic and intellectual empowerment of communities. He added that such initiatives enabled educators to adopt modern approaches and inspire students to become agents of positive social change.
Vice Chancellor PMAS-AAUR Prof Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman, welcoming the guests,said agriculture was the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and social entrepreneurship could create new opportunities for youth and rural communities. He emphasized that universities must play an active role in promoting innovation, social development and peace through research, education and community engagement.
He also thanked Prof Syed Hussain Haider, Senior Legal Expert UNODC, and Syed Arsalan Shah, Advisor UNODC, for their support in organizing the programme, terming such collaborations vital for positive societal change.
The ceremony was attended by faculty members, researchers, experts, trainers and participants of the programme, who appreciated the initiative for enhancing professional capacity and providing practical insights into social entrepreneurship, community engagement and sustainable peace building.
