Gov should take responsibility of financial expenses of at least 25pc of students studying in the private sector
Interview with Professor Mohammad Rais Alvi — Director, KASBIT
PAGE: TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF AND KASBIT, PLEASE:
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: I have been working for the last 51 years in the field of education. I worked as college professor, Additional Secretary Government of Sindh, Executive District Officer (EDO) CDGK, Registrar University of Karachi, Guest Professor Tokyo University, Vice Chancellor Qalandar Shahbaz University and Rector Newports Institute.
Currently, I am working as Director KASBIT (Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Institute of Technology). I have been writing books and articles on education and literature. Particularly, I have translated a number of books from Japanese poetry and prose. I have contributed 9 books out of which 5 books were printed in Japan by the Japanese publishers.
KASBIT is a very outstanding institute and business school in private sector. It was established in September 1999 and was chartered by Government of Sindh in 2001. The founder of KASBIT, Mr Arif Ali Shah Bukhari, has established this institute in the name of his father Syed Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari to actualize the mission of his father. KASBIT enjoys the highest W(4) category awarded by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. KASBIT is the first educational institute to get ISO certification in Pakistan. We provide quality education from B.Com to PhD through highly qualified faculty.
PAGE: KINDLY TELL US ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN SINDH:
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: Private universities in Sindh are providing higher education under difficult circumstances. The government and other agencies looking after education are not providing any grant of aid or any kind of financial support to the higher education institutions in Sindh. Even then the quality of education in these institutions is quite significant. It is needed that government should take responsibility of financial expenses of at least 25 percent of students studying in the private sector. Private universities have a weak infrastructure in comparison to public sector universities, however; they take the social responsibility with full enthusiasm and provide scholarship and freeship to the students along with the quality education.
PAGE: WHAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROMOTE HIGHER EDUCATION FOR FEMALES?
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: It is a very interesting question as we know that in a number of faculties and departments, the number of female students is higher than the boys. But in some departments such as business management and engineering, boys are in majority. We can promote female students to join engineering and business schools by creating a safe and friendly environment in the institutions and create confidence in the middle class families. It is highly important to bring the half of our society into the learning process. The girls if allowed/attracted with respect and financial grants would prove themselves to be good researchers and innovators in the field of Science, Arts & Social Studies. They could be good designers, distinctive printers, devoted textile engineers, fine architects and expert computer technologists. We are looking forward for a paradigm shift in the mindset, approach and attitude of the society in this regard.
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PAGE: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TRAINING OF FACULTY MEMBERS?
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: Training is one of the most important components of personal development of the employees. The large companies usually have 10 to 15% budge for the training of staff. The change is inevitable and so we are changing every day. Training provides the direction, vision and skills to go forward. It is the time that the companies/employers should understand the need to compete with modern trends of the developed world. We try to copy the modern world in fashion and communication but we do not realize the basis of these developments in those societies. Training of employees should be a must item at least after every 3 years an employee could undergo to face the new challenges of the job with new skills and latest equipment.
PAGE: DO YOU THINK USE OF INTERNET PARTICULARLY WIFI COULD BENEFIT THE STUDENTS IN PROMPT LEARNING?
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: Use of internet and availability of WIFI is amazingly popular in big cities. The students of the modern times are found usually busy with their laptops and smart phones to get some information. These are very useful devices for those who want to learn but we know that everything in the internet is not so useful. Sometimes it may misguide the students so there is a need for parents to keep an eye on the social media accounts of their sons/daughters. In some countries even the police have requested the parents to peep in to windows of the Social Media accounts of their children. In this era of high openness and extreme secrecy, students should be protected from the menace of extremism and valueless personal freedom by strong family barriers, community and university teachers.
PAGE: YOUR VIEWS ON THE BUDGET FOR EDUCATION IN SINDH:
PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD RAIS ALVI: As far as current budget for the year 2017-18 of Sindh Government is concerned, it is to point out that the amount has been increased by 24% for education that is from 163.12 billion to 202.2 billion. It is a significant increase in the education budget of the province. The development budget has also been increased from 17 billion to 21 billion. It is further divided into schools, colleges, boards and universities which are respectively 11 billion, Rs 5 billion and Rs 3.6 billion. In this scenario, we can say that the budget is quite reasonable, however, the development budget seems to be insufficient for universities/boards. It is also important to mention that last financial year had seen a great lapse of 45% that means the government has no capacity or intention to utilize all budgetary provisions. I think budgetary allocations are important but also equally important is the utilization of the amount allocated for the purpose. So it is imperative to make sure that whatever amount is allocated must be utilized honestly and efficiently for the respective purpose as per allocation. I hope the government will take serious steps to strengthen the infrastructure of primary schools and improve the quality of education in high schools and colleges in the province.