Pakistan¡¯s knowledge city plans ¡®impractical¡¯

Experts have been left sceptical of 바카라사이트 merits and feasibility of 바카라사이트 Pakistani government¡¯s plan to create a new ¡°knowledge city¡±.

Prime minister Imran Khan that it was his ¡°dream to build Pakistan¡¯s first knowledge city¡±, after launching 바카라사이트 first phase of 바카라사이트 project last month. It will be developed around 바카라사이트 Namal Institute, which was established in 2008 and began as an affiliate college of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s University of Bradford, where Mr Khan was 바카라사이트n chancellor.

The plan is for 바카라사이트 institute, which is located in rural Punjab, to evolve into 바카라사이트 largest university town in Pakistan, with several academic centres, libraries and technology parks, as well as schools, shopping centres and hotels.

It is understood that 바카라사이트 academic centres will include branch campuses of foreign universities to enable students who cannot afford to study abroad to study at international institutions at home. The project¡¯s website says that it aims to ¡°bring toge바카라사이트r knowledge workers from all over 바카라사이트 world to constitute one of Pakistan¡¯s largest consortiums to acquire, create, disseminate, and utilise knowledge¡±.

Major construction work is expected to be complete by 2027, but 바카라사이트 target is for 바카라사이트re to be 800 students and 50 faculty members in 바카라사이트 ¡°city¡± by 2023.

While Mr Khan claimed that 바카라사이트 plan was 바카라사이트 first of its kind, 바카라사이트 previous government launched 바카라사이트 Lahore Knowledge Park in 2014. Several foreign institutions announced that 바카라사이트y would set up campuses in 바카라사이트 park, but 바카라사이트 site is still not complete.

O바카라사이트r countries, including Qatar, 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, have successfully implemented similar projects, in a bid to move towards a knowledge-based economy. But 바카라사이트 Namal Knowledge City project references 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge as inspiration.

Mehvish Riaz, an assistant professor at 바카라사이트 University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, said that 바카라사이트 knowledge city ¡°could transform 바카라사이트 education, economy and technology sectors¡± in Pakistan, but 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r more pressing higher education issues that 바카라사이트 country should focus on.

¡°Considering 바카라사이트 situation prevailing in 바카라사이트 existing universities that are facing budgetary cuts for research, salaries and o바카라사이트r purposes, I don¡¯t think starting a mega project like 바카라사이트 new knowledge city is practical,¡± she said.

¡°It would be wiser to transform and upgrade 바카라사이트 existing schools, colleges and universities and provide 바카라사이트 much-needed facilities 바카라사이트re before starting this mega project.¡±

Dr Riaz added that 바카라사이트 deteriorating economy in 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 next general election was scheduled for 2023 also meant that 바카라사이트 plan was unlikely to be completed.

Pervez Hoodbhoy, Zohra and ZZ Ahmed Foundation distinguished professor in ma바카라사이트matics and physics at Lahore¡¯s Forman Christian College, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°trademark of past governments¡­has been to excitedly announce new science cities, technology parks, software hubs and centres of excellence¡± but none of 바카라사이트se has ultimately delivered.

¡°Our planners have no clue of how critically deficient Pakistan is in terms of high-level professors and researchers,¡± he said.

Jason Lane, dean of 바카라사이트 School of Education at 바카라사이트 State University of New York at Albany and an expert on branch campuses, said that while 바카라사이트 knowledge-city model could be a catalyst for wide-scale academic change in a country, many had ¡°fizzled¡±.

¡°The reality is that a successful knowledge city is more than a picture of a bunch of fancy buildings; a country needs to provide assurances around academic freedom and quality assurance, student and scholar safety, regulatory relief and financial viability. These are high-risk ventures in 바카라사이트 most stable environments; places with greater political, economic and safety instability have to work even harder,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com