A proposal to create a state-of-the-art IT University in Pakistan has been initiated by the software company Netsol.
The announcement was made on the business and employment-oriented online service, LinkedIn by Chairman Netsol Salim Ghauri. The name was disclosed as the University of Netsol, which is likely to be founded in Lahore.
He also named a vice-recruiting chancellor’s role who will be charged with hiring the faculty, developing the classes, curriculum and degree programmes, and supervising the academic activities.
For tech firms, professionals and students, this is promising news from the industry. The entire IT sector, which is always looking for graduates with skills in advanced areas of the IT sector, could serve as a university to be developed based on industry and academic coordination.
Many local universities, with the exception of a few institutions, are currently not producing graduates that meet the requirements of the local and international markets. Thus in business, a severe shortage of human capital still prevails.
Approximately 25,000 students graduate from different universities every year in Pakistan, according to industry estimates. Only 5,000 graduates, however can meet the industry’s criteria regarding the requisite skill sets and other realistic qualifications.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) had previously intended, under the then Minister to create an IT education institution last year. Under the new minister, however there is no news on the continuity of the programme.
IT industry stakeholders said that professionals from different software companies could impart their expertise to different institutions to bring about reforms in IT education. They said, however that universities are not prepared to pay them good amount of salary.
Therefore, through an outdated curriculum and obsolete methodologies, inexperienced instructors continue to teach students different computer science courses.
In order to satisfy the need for human resources, some major names in the IT industry typically set up their own in-house training departments. As far as the whole sector is concerned, though this is not a long-term solution.
