Pakistan spending less than two percent of budget on research

KARACHI (May 24 2007): Pakistan is among 162 countries in the world for contributing less than two percent of the budget on research, which is the major reason for deterioration in economics and technology.

Academia in the country has failed to develop linkages with the industry and presently there are no sign of creativity of knowledge to enhance industrial and trade activities, Dr Ayub Mehar, Head of Research Department, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) told Business Recorder on Wednesday.

Dr Mehar identified three missing links in the system of higher education and said that these gaps should be bridged on priority basis for country's economic growth in the arena of free trade. "First missing link is between the strategy for promotion of research culture and the curriculum. The policy for the development of academic research and the system of examinations work in opposite direction," he said.

This system stresses on the memorisation of texts and mechanical use of the concepts and formulas, he said and added that this problem was created because of the stereotyped lectures and the extensive use of the study guides and short notes.

The second missing link is the disconnection of research degrees with knowledge creation. This system has checked only the ritual requirements and unable to verify the objectivity, originality and acceptability of research work, Dr Mehar said.

The third missing link is between the academic research and economic development, he said and added that universities have failed to convert knowledge into economic development, which leads the industrial growth.

FPCCI research head said that country's trade bodies have to enhance research activities and have to play important and non-traditional role. He said that industries in the country are contributing in the employment generation, participating in national revenue, building of foreign exchange reserves and addition in the GDP. But they have also to become the part of economic planning and decision making.

"During the recent years the responsibility of economic development has shifted to corporate sector from government agencies and in the age of globalisation, the role of trade bodies have become more important," he said.

He said that FPCCI is going through restructuring and enhancing phase of research activities. Several types of research work including applied and policy research in the areas of business competitiveness, fiscal and monetary policies and the globalisation related issues were being carried, simultaneously.

The apex trade body was also establishing links with the institutions of higher education. While, two research projects were assigned to the Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi for the study on the Industrial Competitiveness and Protection in Free Trade Regime.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=568161&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&te rm=&supDate=

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