SKARDU: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said quality education and skilled manpower were essential for the sustainable development of Gilgit Baltistan.
He said that achieving vocational training was imperative for all students, especially female students. He said that students could realize the dream of financial self-sufficiency through digital skills and freelancing training.
The president expressed these views while addressing the fifth graduation ceremony (Convocation) of the University of Baltistan in Skardu.
The President congratulated the graduating students, their parents and teachers and wished them a bright future.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that talented and skilled manpower was required to utilize the natural resources of Gilgit-Baltistan for the development and prosperity of the region and to meet the challenges of the future.
The economic revolution could be carried out only through skilled manpower, he added.
He emphasised that the market was in dire need of skilled professionals, especially in the IT sector. He added that in the field of Cyber Security alone, 80 million IT professionals would be needed by the year 2030.
He stated that the demand for two-year associate degree programmes was growing and our universities should focus on these programmes.
The President highlighted that due to the changes in the field of Information Technology, the doors of the global market had opened up and Pakistani youth, especially women, can now market their services online and become financially independent.
He said that Islam had allowed women to participate in economic activities, therefore, female students should also focus on honing their IT and digital skills which will enable them to earn a decent livelihood from the comfort of their homes.
He asked the students to further polish their communication skills so that they could effectively market themselves through digital and online platforms.
The President said that climate change was a major threat to the future of the region, therefore, universities needed to promote research to tackle the effects of climate change.
He stated that efforts were needed to overcome the climate crisis and global warming by conserving nature and adopting eco-friendly practices. –Agencies
