Senate Chairman urges skills-driven higher education reforms

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said Pakistan's expanding higher education system must now concentrate on producing graduates who can meet the demands of a changing economy, with a strong focus on skills, innovation, technology and employability.

Speaking at the Beaconhouse International College Convocation, Gilani said academic qualifications needed to translate into meaningful economic opportunities for young people, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The Senate chairman told the gathering that the country's higher education sector had an important task before it: ensuring that students leave universities and colleges equipped not only with degrees but with practical capabilities that employers and the economy require.

Gilani identified skills, innovation and technology as essential priorities for higher education institutions. He said the sector must prepare young people for the future of work, according to APP.

The event, held in Islamabad, brought together graduating students, faculty and education administrators. The chairman's remarks were reported by the state-run news agency without specifying further details of the convocation proceedings.

Gilani's comments come as Pakistan's higher education enrolments have grown substantially, with public and private universities producing a large number of graduates each year. Policymakers and economists have repeatedly pointed to a mismatch between the qualifications students obtain and the skills demanded by the labour market.

The chairman did not announce a new programme or policy at the event. Instead, his speech reinforced existing calls from government and education leaders for curriculum reforms that prioritise job readiness, technological literacy and entrepreneurship.

As Chairman Senate, Gilani holds one of the country's highest constitutional offices, and his remarks at academic events are often seen as signals of legislative priorities. Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, and converting education into employment is central to its economic planning.

APP reported the remarks in a brief dispatch from Islamabad. No additional statements from the college or the Senate Secretariat were immediately available.