Philosofi

BRR: How can inclusive policy making come about particularly in making private sector an engine of economic growth?

Dr Vaqar Ahmed: In a recent meeting with universities, one of the vice-chancellors of a leading Islamabad-based university categorically stated that the research being conducted by academia in the country is largely irrelevant to our society.So, in order to boost research on entrepreneurship, we at SDPI aim to raise funds for academics that are able and willing to carry out research on the economic potential of their localities.

In line with Planning Commission’s growth strategy we are interested in the potential of cities having population above 1 million; however, we remain sensitive to considerations of social justice, sustainability and equity - which certainly go beyond cities.

contd

Dr Akmal Hussain

“Freedom is necessary for creativity because creativity requires intellectual space to make a leap of the imagination. As Asadullah Ghalib the great poet asked: “If the first footstep of my creative imagination covers the universe, where will the second step take me?” Allama Iqbal in the same vein suggests: “Take the development of the Self to such heights, that God may ask the human individual, what be your inclination?” Thus the institutional conditions of freedom, of human rights, of gender equality, of human security, and the economic conditions that enable a life of self-respect, are all essential to the process of development.”

contd…

Indeed all aid is linked to political motives…

“Two steps now could salvage the future of US aid. First, protect the aid that has been working against cuts, which should come instead from the areas not working. The current House proposal doesn’t get this elementary principle – aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq would be cut by 13%, but everything else would be cut by 23%. Second, recognise what the last decade taught us: there is actually a great divide separating development and defence. Announce that henceforward aid is for poverty relief and only for poverty relief, not for supporting military operations. Build a firewall between USAid and the defence department. Let defence run its programmes or counter-insurgency, but don’t be misled that this has anything to do with aid. American aid should concentrate on areas with a better track record – health, education, infrastructure, and clean water and sanitation – operating in societies where war, repression and corruption do not make it pointless for aid to operate.

Compassionate American taxpayers continue to make private donations at a rate higher than any other nationality in the world. The bipartisan coalition that came together to increase aid in 2002 may be nearly extinct, but it could be resurrected by redirecting aid to where it has a decent chance of working. Aid will not get too many more chances.”

Dr Atta-ur-Rahman

Knowledge is now the single most important factor in socio-economic development. Countries that have realised this and invested heavily in developing their human resources to the highest possible levels have leaped forward, leaving others far behind. Finland has a population of about one-fourth of that of Karachi but just one company from this country has exports double that of the whole of Pakistan. Malaysia decided 30 years ago to spend at least 30 percent of its budget on education, which it has been doing since, giving other sectors a much lower priority. The result is that Malaysia today accounts for 86.5 percent of the total high tech exports of the Islamic world, and is ranked ninth in the world in this category, ahead of many European nations. 

Korea decided to give the very highest priority to higher education. In 1960, about five percent of the youth in Korea between the ages of 17-23 were enrolled in higher education institutions (about the same as of Pakistan today) and Korean exports were only about $30 billion in the ‘60s. By 2010, the enrolment of Korean youth in higher education institutions jumped to about 95 percent, the highest in the world. The result was a corresponding jump in its exports of high value products (electronics, engineering goods, automobiles, house hold appliances, steel, ship building etc) which have risen to $360 billion.

The four pillars of progress are (1) high quality education, (2) science and technology (3) innovation and entrepreneurship and (4) a governance system that allows merit to prevail and offers quick and fair justice.

Contd…

Engineering represents the backbone of defence and industry. A wonderful scheme was approved by the ECNEC in February 2008 to set up foreign engineering universities in Pakistan with integrated technology parks where foreign companies such as Siemens or Eriksson could set up research and development centres for new product development. Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Austria and Korea had all agreed to set up their engineering universities in various cities of Pakistan, in which degrees would have been offered by top foreign universities without our students going abroad. This could have saved Pakistan about Rs100 billion annually which is what parents spend today to provide high quality foreign education to their children abroad. However, the scheme was abandoned in May 2008, as the government had “other priorities than education” – amounting to a monumental national disaster!

Contd…

hehe

pakistani:

The New Fashion Foreign Minister of Pakistan

Hina Rabbani Khar - Youngest and First Female FM of Pakistan

This is my favorite one. The Indian Foreign Minister doesn’t know what to do with her hand

He still looks very confused..

Beauty, Brains, and Birth Right!

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(Source: aleefbaypay)