PESHAWAR: “If you have any idea, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is giving you interest- free loans to put it into practice. Don’t be job seekers; be an employer,” The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education Kamran Bangash urged the youth.
Addressing the expo Institute of Management Studies in University of Peshawar, Bangash said the rapid technological advancement and changing business landscape has made the expo very special for business and management students as they become aware of the changing world around them. Bangash said that KP government has introduced schemes to provide facilities to the youth to excel in information technology.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Science and Technology Muhammad Atif Khan inaugurated the two-day business expo. Aimed to bring together different stakeholders, the event was attended by students, teachers as well as many important public and private sector organizations. The Expo includes three interconnected activities – Business Plan Competition, Stall Exhibition and Business Workshops.
Appreciating the organization of the program, UoP Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Muhammad Idrees said that it is time to impart business knowledge to students and enlighten them about the practical ways of doing business so that they be able to start their businesses after graduating from the university.
Minister for Science and Technology Muhammad Atif Khan said that progress in the world is made only by those nations who adopt latest technology. He added that the government has allocated about Rs 8 billion for training one lakh students in information technology, including Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Commerce. He furthered that strong linkages between the institutions are essential for the development of the country. The institutes include government agencies, universities and industries.
Provincial Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra in his address said that activities like business expo in universities prove to be useful in increasing employment opportunities as ideas are born in the expos. Jhagra said that a good idea can matures into a big business and small startups will be a source of employment for other people.
Abdul Karim, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Industry, Trade and Focal Person for Investment said that such expo should also be held regularly so that the industrialists of the province could present the raw materials of the province in the best possible way. He said that special measures are also being taken for economic development in the newly merged districts. He said that Mohmand Economic Zone is being constructed in Mohmand district.