AWANTIPORA, NOVEMBER 12: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, School Education and Higher Education, Sakeena Masood today inaugurated the National Academia Industry Conclave 4.0-Cultivating Synergy at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) here.
Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Vice Chancellor IUST, Vice Chancellor Cluster University Srinagar, Deans of various Departments, Heads of Departments, galaxy of who’s who of industry and commerce sector of J&K, budding entrepreneurs, researchers, and large number of students were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Sakeena Masood underlined that this Conclave will serve as a platform for fostering collaboration, innovation, and exchange of ideas between the educational sector and industries, thereby contributing towards the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir.
“To tackle growing challenges and opportunities of the modern world, a collaboration between academia and industry is the need of the hour”, Sakeena said. She asserted that industry-academia partnerships are integral to addressing pressing global issues, fostering innovation, and ensuring that students are prepared for the evolving demands of the job market.
Calling for students to look beyond government jobs, the Minister advised the students to create opportunities for themselves in emerging sectors like tourism, hospitality, and other sectors and be job creators rather than job seekers.
The Minister further said that the contribution of growth in nation-building is maximum through the education sector and it is one of the priority sectors for the government. “Our government led by Omar Abdullah is committed towards development of the education sector from the remotest areas and we are working on the policy of free education from 1st class to university level”, Sakeena said.
The Minister also advised the University administration to promote the Kashmiri language on the campus and make best efforts for its preservation and promotion.
Addressing the gathering, Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani highlighted that this University has emerged as one of the top-class universities not only in J&K but across the country. He called upon the students to leave this university as educated entrepreneurs and try to tap the potential of establishing enterprises in Tourism, Horticulture, Art & Crafts, hospitality, and other sectors.
The Advisor underlined that this conclave marks an essential step towards integrating academic learning with industry needs. He commended the university administration for growth in recent years and advised them to look out for expansion in other districts.
Speaking on the occasion, VC IUST, Shakeel Ahmad Ramshoo gave an outline of the progress and achievements of the University since its inception. He remarked that the University has developed a holistic curriculum that reflects multi multi-disciplinary approach of the University. He underlined that the Design Your Own Degree course of the university has emerged as one of the most innovative and successful initiatives of this variety.
The VC said that this Conclave platform will be a great platform to achieve the goal of the developed country our government is aspiring for.
Dean of Academic Affairs, IUST, Prof. A H Moon, and representative of CMD SIDBI, Balbir Singh also spoke on the occasion and outlined the primary objectives of the workshop.
During the Conclave, the Minister along with the Advisor conferred awards to various start-up founders in different categories like Best Performing Global Startup, Best Women-Led Startup, Best Agri-Tech Startup, Best Tech-based Startup, and Best Emerging Startup. The Minister also released the CIED Annual Report on the occasion.
Earlier, the Minister along with the Advisor also inspected various tech-based stalls established as part of the ongoing celebrations under 19th University Foundation Day and also interacted with the students.