Islamabad: Leading educationists, policymakers, industry representatives and Vice-Chancellors and Rectors have called for stronger and structured collaboration between academia and industry to bridge Pakistan's skills gap and equip university graduates with market-oriented skills.
The experts expressed these views at a forum titled 'Skilling Pakistan: Challenges and Learning from Best Practices', held at the Regional Office of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in Islamabad.
The forum was jointly organized by FPCCI, Young Entrepreneurs Summit (YES), HEC Task Force on Business Incubation Centres, Atlas Vocational Training Institute and the Vice Chancellor Forum of Federal Universities.
The event was moderated by Muhammad Murtaza Noor, CEO and National Coordinator of the Inter-University Consortium.
Prof. Dr. Syed Habib Ali Bukhari, Member RandD and Academics at the Higher Education Commission, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akmal, Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali Nasir, Advisor HEC, Dr. Syed Shahbaz Hussain Shamsi, Director General Prime Minister's Youth Programme, Tariq Khan Jadoon, Vice President FPCCI, and Aziz Malik, Chairman FPCCI Capital Office Islamabad, along with Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and representatives of universities and industry, participated in the forum.
A special documentary on Atlas Vocational Training Institute was also screened, highlighting the institute's efforts to promote technical and vocational training and develop industry-relevant skills among young people.
During the Best Practices Session, participants shared successful national models relating to skills development, university-industry collaboration, business incubation and work-integrated learning.
Particular reference was made to initiatives and experiences of Pak-Austria Institute, Haripur, Government College University Faisalabad, Honda Atlas, Health Services Academy, Rawalpindi Women University and other leading educational institutions and industries.
The participants emphasized the need for close and institutionalized academia-industry liaison, particularly through regular review and updating of university curricula according to market and industry requirements.
They also stressed the need for active representation of industry experts in curriculum development so that graduates could acquire skills relevant to the changing employment market.
The forum recommended making internships mandatory, meaningful and outcome-oriented, while providing students with greater opportunities for hands-on training, workplace exposure and practical learning.
Participants also called for stronger institutional partnerships through active industry involvement in teaching, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The growing importance of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies in addressing industrial and socio-economic challenges was also highlighted.
Universities were urged to equip graduates with relevant digital, technical, entrepreneurial and soft skills required to meet the demands of a rapidly changing job market.
The participants further stressed the need to strengthen Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORICs) and Business Incubation Centres (BICs) through the appointment of full-time professional staff.
They also recommended establishing and upgrading university laboratories through industry and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding so that students and researchers could work on real-world industrial problems.
Tariq Khan Jadoon, Vice President FPCCI, welcomed the participants and assured FPCCI's cooperation in undertaking joint initiatives aimed at bridging the academia-industry gap.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Syed Shahbaz Hussain Shamsi, Director General Prime Minister's Youth Programme, said the Federal Government had recognized the importance of skills-based education and declared 2027 as the Year of Skills.
The participants were also invited to attend the forthcoming Young CEOs, Entrepreneurs and Innovators (YES) Summit, Expo and Awards, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in mid-October 2026.
The participants appreciated the initiative and recommended that such academia-industry forums should be organized regularly to share best practices and develop practical and scalable interventions for creating a skilled, innovative and employable workforce.