DAILY TIMES

3rd May 2016

 

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Monday said Pakistan needs to restore academic freedom in its colleges and universities so that students could enjoy a productive environment. He made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a three-day workshop of Sindh-Hainan Universities Forum under China-Pakistan partnership programme orgnised by Madrassatul Islam University, Karachi. He said that if Pakistani students were given conducive environment to explore their potential they can help Pakistan in becoming the leading academic nation of the world. Rabbani said the deep relationship between Pakistan and China go back to the time when Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Chairman Mao Zi Tung and Chinese Premier Chu En Lai sat together and built this relationship based on principles of expansionism to strengthen both countries economically and in defence of its people and resources. The Senate chairman said, “In Asia we share a common experience, common culture and common history even in presence of diversity.” Praising the concept of the workshop among universities of Sindh and Chinese province Hainan, the Senate chairman said that this initiative of looking towards universities of Asia rather than following the old practice of taking assistance from West deserves felicitation. He said that autonomy to universities was very important and also stressed on developing linkages between academia and other state institutions. He also referred to a number of initiatives undertaken by Senate to develop such linkages through several MoUs signed between Senate and eight federal universities.