KOTLI: (Parliament Times) The President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Ahmed Khan has said that excellence in education and developing a highly skilled human resource is being given foremost preference by the incumbent Government of AJK.
The AJK President made these assertions while addressing scholarship award ceremony held at the University of Kotli on Tuesday.
Speaking at the occasion the President said that merit based admissions and appointments in AJK Universities will be prioritized in order to ensure the highest standards in tertiary (third-stage) education. The President said that in the coming years, quality higher education facilities will be available in all district headquarters of AJK. Recently, Haveli sub-campus University of Poonch, Rawalakot) has been established at Forward Kahota and seminal work on Palandri sub-campus (Mirpur University of Science and Technology), and Abbaspur sub-campus (University of Poonch) have begun, and will be completed in the coming months.
President Masood Khan said that new disciplines will be introduced at graduate levels in order to help match curricula to the dynamic job market and enable successful placement of fresh graduates. Highlighting the economic and industrial revolution unfolding in Azad Kashmir, especially due to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the President said that special emphasis will be given to technical skill development to cater to the jobs generated in the coming years due to CPEC.
President AJK said that Azad Kashmir despite its size has 5 public sector universities, 2 cadet colleges and dozens of degree colleges. He added that qualitative success in education will only be achieved if we promote research, innovation, and provide requisite international exposure to our faculty and students. “Establishing a knowledge based economy is pertinent for the prosperity of Azad Kashmir and its people”, said the President.
President AJK while addressing the participants said that Azad Kashmir is rich in human capital, which must be effectively exploited for the benefit of the this region and Pakistan. He added that we need to focus on innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and a trained workforce fully acquainted with the operating environment within AJK.
Stressing the need to effectively highlight the Kashmir issue, Sardar Masood Khan urged the students to use modern communication tools to approach their international peers, the foreign media, think tanks, academic institutions and civil societies. He said that Kashmiris in Indian
Occupied Kashmir are being mercilessly murdered, harassed, maimed and incarcerated every day. It is our duty to advocate the unarmed struggle for right to self-determination of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters, and expose the rotten face of the occupier.
On the occasion the President laid the foundation stone for the new female hostel and also awarded scholarships amongst deserving students and high achievers. The event was also attended by Vice Chancellor Kotli University Prof. Dr. Syed Dilnawaz Ahmad Gardezi, heads of departments, senior faculty members and students of various departments of Kotli University.