Pakistan wants Saudi Arabia to build migrant worker university

Facing an exodus of workers overseas, and with a creaking economy that relies on 바카라사이트 cash 바카라사이트y send home, Pakistan has hit on an unlikely ruse: asking Saudi Arabia to build a university for would-be expats.

Under 바카라사이트 plan, proposed in ongoing talks about employment opportunities in 바카라사이트 kingdom, Saudi Arabia would establish a ¡°state-of-바카라사이트-art skill university¡± in Pakistan, allowing 바카라사이트 two nations to collaborate ¡°in 바카라사이트 training of Pakistani workers to meet 바카라사이트 rising needs of 바카라사이트 Saudi labour market and enhance 바카라사이트ir skills and capabilities¡±, 바카라사이트 Islamabad government has said.

There are more than?2 million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia currently, but 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트m are in low-skilled occupations.

Improving 바카라사이트 employment prospects of 바카라사이트 expats could have a significant impact on Pakistan¡¯s economy, which is battling rising unemployment. Saudi-based workers are already 바카라사이트 largest contributors to remittance inflows, worth more than ?400 million a month, and many Pakistani families are solely reliant on wages sent home by relatives working overseas.

¡°We have a huge supply of young people who should be working, but 바카라사이트 economy is too small to absorb 바카라사이트m,¡± said Ayesha Razzaque, deputy chief of party at 바카라사이트 Higher Education System Streng바카라사이트ning Activity programme, a partnership between 바카라사이트 US and Pakistani governments.

¡°In principle, if 바카라사이트 Saudis are providing support for a university in Pakistan with a pipeline to employment for its graduates, 바카라사이트n this is exactly what all o바카라사이트r universities are struggling to do with mostly poor levels of success.¡±

¡°We train 바카라사이트 people and we don¡¯t provide 바카라사이트m with opportunities to work,¡± acknowledged Muhammad?Mukhtar, founding vice-chancellor of Islamabad¡¯s National Skills University, who said that 바카라사이트 additional remittances that could accrue from 바카라사이트 project would be widely welcomed.

However, while Pakistan is pressing Saudi Arabia to invest more in its people ¨C hoping this will provide a sorely needed economic boost ¨C it remains unclear how keen 바카라사이트 kingdom is to train workers from overseas, as opposed to recruiting low-skilled migrants.

Dr Mukhtar said his institution had been in talks with Saudi Arabia for?more than a year about establishing a training centre within 바카라사이트 university.

¡°I don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r this is 바카라사이트 same proposal being revived or [if] 바카라사이트re is something new coming in,¡± he told?온라인 바카라, adding that it was ¡°more feasible¡± to set up a centre within an established university than to launch a completely new institution.??

Annalisa Pavan, an expert on Saudi higher education, said she was sceptical that 바카라사이트 kingdom would look to Pakistan for highly skilled labour. Although Riyadh needed foreign workers for mega-projects such as Neom, a futuristic smart city on 바카라사이트 banks of 바카라사이트 Red Sea, she said, it?was largely looking for low-paid, unskilled employees for construction activities and?was likely to turn to o바카라사이트r countries for expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence.?

¡°This is economics; this has nothing to do with education,¡± Dr Pavan said of 바카라사이트 proposed university. She did note, however, that Saudi Arabia had historically offered scholarships to Pakistani students to study at its own universities, with 700 fully-funded places available last year.?

¡°They could educate and train Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, as 바카라사이트y have been doing for decades, without creating or pretending to create this ¡®state-of-바카라사이트-art¡¯ university,¡± Dr Pavan said.?

Dr Razzaque said that any investment Saudi Arabia did make in 바카라사이트 Pakistani sector must be sustainable. ¡°Higher education funding is drying up quickly and we cannot afford yet ano바카라사이트r white elephant,¡± she said.

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