Western countries have made a remarkable advancement after the commercial revolution and academia-industry (AI) linkage played a big part in it. Considering the importance of the issue eastern countries are giving due importance to AI linkage. Pakistan, among other South Asian countries is far behind in developing such a relationship. Pakistan among its other south Asian counterparts is lagging behind within the event of quality products and its export to the earth thanks to lack of Research & Development (R&D), which leads towards a lack of advancement in science and technology (S&T) and lack of innovative products. In Pakistan out of 195 HEC-recognised public and private universities, 114 are collaborating with 85 public sector organizations. pedagogy of a country and S&T are two major fields that have a key role in developing a nation but we face budgetary cuts in these fields. Unfortunately, a recent survey shows that Pakistan ranks 125th among 132 countries in terms of budgetary allocation for pedagogy. Our industrial sector badly needs applied research to resolve the important life problems of the market. Although, number of dedicated research centers and institutes are established in universities for undertaking the research in health, industrial biotechnology, agriculture, textile and environmental sector along with gene-splicing techniques to handle the important time industrial problems and providing practical solutions to those problems but unluckily,
despite the actual fact that these institutes are given high tech expensive equipment; the results don’t seem to be up to the mark. the rationale is lack of a coordinated effort to undertake a unified targeted research which leads towards only piling up research to provide research papers only and having no practical implication for the industry. the result is that it’s no practical presence within the industry but it only exists within the institutes. There are over 600 companies operating in the pharmaceutical industry out of which 386 are real operating units. Almost 80% of the drug supply is tackled by national manufacturing units and 20% is exported. Despite the actual fact that major chunk of pharmaceutical products is locally produced; a meager amount is devoted to R&D purposes by the local companies, only 30 multinational operating units are giving due weightage to R&D in Pakistan.
As far because the tutorial institutions; awarding relevant degrees is far behind producing R&D drugs. whether or not they produce any product there’s the problem of commercialization of the merchandise thanks to lack of linkage with the industry. A national policy should be formed to handle the issue of AI linkage backed by the government for the flourishing culture of S&T and R&D within the country. Policy reforms should be made at the extent of universities to empower them to do to partnerships with the private sector. Since its inception, the HEC was given the role of promoting AI linkage. It can play a big role in providing funding to marketable research and commercial projects. allow pedagogy should be increased to a minimum of 6% of its GDP because in Pakistan access to pedagogy is barely 7.8% which ranks it inside 6th position with respect to its spending on education.
The development of a business incubation center and technology parks should be encouraged. These centers of excellence should be the key hub for providing solutions to customized industrial problems. Transfer of information and sharing of data are the cornerstones for knowledge-based economies. Such culture is developed by promoting research activities, conducting seminars, conferences, and workshops which successively end in opportunities for young scientists to debate the foremost recent trends in the innovation of S&T products. Interaction of industry with academia will end in a better understanding of research projects in the process within universities and possible future collaborations for funding.
Strengthening of universities by the commercial sector is another solution for AI linkage. initially, the outflow of data from universities to industry and successively industrial involvement within the kind of resource to universities can play a key role. during this manner dependence of universities on government, budgets are visiting be reduced. Graduate students of the faculties are given access to the industry as a component of their internship programs for the practical hands-on experience; it’ll build the capacity of students for the knowledge, skills, and skills needed within the market.
Industries should be encouraged to see R&D units within their premises. Information could even be shared by the industry with academicians about the important time industrial problems. Academicians could even be hired as consultants to educate the people at these R&D centers. Highly skilled young and motivated undergrads could even be funded by the industry for his or her further studies while they work for industry projects.
