RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has said that Pakistan can achieve global competitiveness only by promoting and producing qualified human resources and a workforce to face global challenges of water, climate change, energy and food security for future generations.

This, he stated while addressing here at the International Forum on Science Education held in conjunction with the 2018 meeting of Inter-Academic Partnership on Science Education Programme (IAP SEP) organized by the HEC here on Monday.

The forum themed “Quality Science Education at Schools - A Must for Quality Higher Education and Economic Development” was jointly organized by the HEC, ECO Science Foundation, Pakistan Academy of Sciences and Alif Ailaan, an NGO.

Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, President Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Dr Qasim Jan, President ECO Science Foundation Dr Manzoor Hussain Soomro, and around 200 speakers and participants from 12 countries of the world attended the forum. Dato Lee Yee Cheong, Chair Global Council Inter-Academic Partnership on Science Education Programme, graced the forum as keynote speaker.

The HEC chairman said that science, technology and innovation are critical inputs for sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation. Effective science education at school level is a building block for producing quality higher education, which is critical to achieve sustainable economic development in Pakistan, he pointed out.

He urged the participants and stakeholders to use this forum as a platform to synergize strengths to ensure and promote quality science education at school level, which would be critical input to quality higher education in Pakistan.

“We can achieve global competitiveness only if we promote and produce qualified human resources and a workforce based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to tackle the global challenges relating to water, climate change, energy and food security for future generations,” he added.

“The Muslims mindset needs to be shaken to harness the potential of our youth, as youth are the main powerhouse of the Muslim world,” he emphasized.

He underscored that outcome-based education must be concentrated on so as to create impact of humanity and society. He urged the world nations to fix their directions towards development of constructive science for the well-being of whole mankind.

On “Digital Revolution, Development Revolution, Science Education and Science Literacy,” Dato Lee Yee Cheong highlighted the significance and emerging role of digital technology in shaping the ongoing digital revolution around the globe, particularly in the developing world.

He emphasized adopting the STEM subjects for children to ensure the human resources necessary for the digital revolution and to equip the world with a rational and discerning citizenry towards global peace, harmony and prosperity.

He observed that the world today is passing through the 4th Industrial Revolution caused by a nexus of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge; and technology breakthroughs.

He underlined that One Belt and One Road (OBOR) is the visionary initiative of China that will transform economic and social and sustainable development along the belt and road. He also emphasised promotion of inquiry based science education (IBSE) in the region to prepare the next generations to respond to the global challenges in the future.

Prof Dr Manzoor Hussain Soomro said the forum is an ideal space to generate the debate on science education in Pakistan, sharing of global experiences and the understanding of new paths for improvement of human life, sustainable economic growth and policy making by employing effective science education approach such as the IBSE at all levels. Quality higher education can lead to promote science, technology and innovation and sustainable economic development in the ECO region, he added.

The forum included a series of panel discussions on a number of thematic areas of science education and explored the ideas around the challenges, implementation of effective science teaching and policy measures by expert panelists on science education around the globe.

The forum deliberated in depth on the interaction of digital revolution, development revolution, inquiry based science education and STEM education from pre-school through primary, secondary and tertiary education to lifelong learning.

The forum adopted Islamabad Declaration with recommendations from experts. The recommendations included a call to all IAP member academies of sciences and their IBSE/ STEM partners to reiterate their commitment to IBSE/STEM education and lobby governments to establish more interactive science museums. The recommendations also stressed the IAP SEP Global Council to actively support climate change education.

The industry, particularly the infrastructure and digital technology related enterprises, is urged to assist national academies of science and governments to enhance STEM education initiatives. The forum also urged China under the One Belt One Road Initiative to invest in IAP SEP Project of Fusion of OBOR Civilizations Curriculum Design for Schools and construct digitally interactive mobile exhibits on the scientific and technological inventions and innovations in OBOR civilizations.