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PAKISTAN ENGINEERING COUNCIL

Minutes of 3rd Academia – Industry Linkages Committee (AILC) Meeting and Joint

Workshop held on May 25-27, 2009 at Inter Con Inn, University Town, Peshawar

List of participants:

1. Engr. Zahid Arif Convener

2. Engr. Dr. Ehsanullah Kakar Member

3. Engr. Dr. Nasir M. Khan Dy. Registrar / Secretary

4. Engr. Jehanzeb Dy Registrar, PEC Branch Office, Peshawar.

5. Dr. Khalid Khan Director DOST, MoST, NWFP (Special Invitee)

Regrets:

1. Engr. Dr. Suhail Aftab, Member

2. Engr. Dr. Arshad Vohra, Member

1. General:

The meeting commenced at the residence of Engr. Zahid Arif at 07.30 pm with the recitation

from Holy Quran by the Convener (Engr. Zahid Arif). He welcomed all the members, and

explained briefly the road-map of AILC summarized so far in the last two meetings with given

scope/objectives of the committee followed by the brief introduction by all members.

2. Approval of the Minutes of 2nd AILC Meeting:

Minutes of the 2nd meeting held on July 11, 2008 were approved unanimously at the proposal of

Dr Ehsanullah Kakar.

3. First Initiative at NWFP by the Convener:

The Convener gave briefing on the AIGR-Workshop being organized jointly as per the minutes

of 2nd AILC minutes (refers last para of the approved minutes) as first joint initiative in NWFP

with the Directorate of Science & Technology (DOST), MoST, Government of NWFP. He

introduced and requested the Director, DOST (Dr Khalid Khan) invited to attend the 3rd AILC at

Peshawar, to give briefing to PEC Team members regarding efforts being made in NWFP to

develop a “Pilot project” to strengthen the Academia-industry link, and resultantly developed a

Think Tank named as “Academia-Industry-Government Roundtable (AIGR) forum” under

MoST, Government of NWFP.

The main aim of the constitution of Think Tank is to create the required synergies between

industry and the research institutions/universities that are necessary for commercially driven

work and its outputs. Academia can lend easy access to knowledge to the industry for conducting

applied research. In turn, the technology produced by the industry can be used by the Academia

to carry out the basic research on a more detailed and extended level. Secondly, by enhancing

close interaction of research institutions, an added advantage can be achieved that would be in

the form of exploitation of their production and outcomes. To emphasis the need and to address

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all above, an Academia-Industry-Government Roundtable is being established in NWFP and the

1st Workshop among the stakeholders is going to be held on May 26 – 27 , 2009.

While briefing regarding the scope of the AIGR, Dr Khalid of DOST expressed his gratitudes to

Engr. Zahid Arif, the Convener PEC AILC for his visionary leadership who has also been

selected unanimously as the Chairman of AIGR on the proposal of President Chamber of

Commerce & Industry, NWFP in the last joint meeting at Chamber of Commerce & Industry,

NWFP. He further briefed that the efforts has been made to develop a detailed draft working

paper regarding identification of various allied issues, grey areas, required financing for joint

R&D activities, categorizations, review and adoption of various criterions and formulation of

ToRs etc.

The meeting ended with the vote of thanks to and from the Convener with positive hopes that the

coming workshop will pave a way in sparkling the initiative/move in the right direction to

establish as a successful real “Pilot Project” which shall be replicated in other provinces / regions

of the country.

4. Planning cum Consultative AIGR Workshop:

The workshop started as per the programme (Annexed-A) with the recitation from the holy

Quraan. Engr. Zahid Arif, Convener PEC AILC and Dr Khalid Khan were on the stage as

Leader/Chairman and Secretary of AIGR workshop respectively with the Chief Guest, Senator

Ilyas Ahmad Bilour. Chairman of the AIGR, while giving briefing on the need and scope of the

workshop, welcomed the Chief Guest and participants from various organization and industries

including PEC and HEC. Dr Khalid Khan presented the details of the workshop and mode of

working groups during the technical sessions. The beak-up of the programme is attached for

information at Annexed B.

The Chief Guest appreciated the joint initiative by the provincial ministry of S&T and the PEC,

urged both to take firm steps required to strengthen this previously ignored link of academia and

industry, caused slow technology development and failure to provide required indigenous

solutions to local industrial issues/problems and confidence on each other. He assured his

maximum support to organizers of the AIGR workshop, provided the experts from various

stakeholders participating in the workshop come-up with viable working methodology to bridge

these gaps.

After the preliminary session, the technical session of the workshop continued for 2 days as per

given agenda and working papers and number of ideas and presentations were shared by the

leaders of each group. At the end, in the concluding session certificates were distributed by the

Chief Guest, the provincial Minister for Science & technology Mr. Ayub Ashari, Government of

NWFP, Peshawar. At the end, it was decided that Directorate of DOST will compile various

ideas and proposals given by Group members and then will be shared in the next Think Tank

Committee meeting which is having representations from the stakeholders.

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The Chief Guest appreciated all the participants commuting from different parts of the province

and country, and especially to the Organizers for holding such a nice but lengthy experts’ group

meeting in NWFP and providing a unique opportunity to the representatives from Academia,

Industry and Government to discuss / deliberate on the left over issue in length so that a

collective remedy can be thought-out with consensus. He assured to AIGR group to provide all

sort of help & support on behalf of government for the success to achieve set targets. At the end,

while giving vote of thanks to the Chief Guest,participants and the AIGR organisors, the Acting

Registrar of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) Engr. Z. M. Peracha assured that PEC will

extend and facilitate all required support through its AILC committee not only to AIGR NWFP

but to all other similar initiatives under the scope of AILC committee of PEC in other province /

regions.

Engr. Dr. Nasir Mahmood Khan

Deputy Registrar / Secretary

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Working Document

Two-days workshop

Academia-Industry-Government Roundtable

Planning-cum-Consultative Workshop

Organized By

Directorate of Science and Technology (DoST), NWFP

in Association with

Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), Islamabad

at

Hotel InterCon Inn Abdara Road University Town, Peshawar

26 – 27th May, 2009

ANNEX - A

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ANNEX - A

Workshop Program

Day 1:

S. No. Activity Timelines

1 Registration 8: 15 – 9:00

2 Guest to be seated 9:05 – 9:15

3 Recitation from the Holy Quran 9:15 – 9:20

4 Welcome address 9:20 – 9:25

5 Presentation on the AIGR 9:25 – 9:35

6 Speech 1 9:35 – 9:45

7 Speech 2 9:45 – 9:55

8 Address by the Chief guest 9:55 – 10:10

9 Refreshments 10:10 – 10:30

1st technical session

10 Groups taking Positions 10:30 – 10:45

11 Group work 10:45 – 1:00

12 Lunch and prayer break 1:00 – 2:00

2nd technical session

13 Group work 2:00 – 4:00

11 Integration of the group work 4:00 – 5:30

12 Refreshments and closing of day 1 5:30

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Day 2:

S. No. Activity Timelines

3rd technical session

1 Reflections on day 1 by group reps 9:00 – 10:00

2 Group work 10:00 – 1:00

3 Working tea

4 Lunch and prayer break 1:00 – 2:00

4th technical session

5 AIGR open discussion (shift to knowledge based economy)

– challenges & opportunities

2:00 – 4:00

Closing ceremony

6 Guests to be seated 4:00 – 4:05

7 Presentation on the workshop proceedings 4:05 – 4:15

8 Certificate distribution 4:15 – 4:45

9 Address by the leader of the roundtable 4:45 – 4:55

10 Address by the chief guest 4:55 – 5:05

11 Vote of thanks 5:05 – 5:10

12 Refreshments 5:10

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Table of contents

Content Page No.

1. Registration form …………………………………………………………… … 3

2. Workshop program ……………………………………………………………… 4

3. Agenda of the workshop…………………………………………………………. 5

3.1 a. Review and firming up of ToRs for the Roundtable (AIGR)………….. 7

b. Review and firming up of ToRs for the Research, Promotion & support cell

(RPSC)……………………………………………………………………… 9

c. Review and firming up of ToRs for the Research Promotion & Support

Sub-cell (RPSSC) and housing criteria………………………………………… 10

3.2. Criteria for placement of R&D graduates in Industry………………………. 11

3.3.Criteria development for the “Best Research Award of Industrial

Importance”……………………………………………………………............... 12

3.4 Selection criteria of Department/Organization for preparing a five year

research roadmap………………………………………………………………… 14

3.5. Formulation of parameters for mapping of R&D facilities, human resource

and efforts in NWFP ……………… …………………………………………. 15

3.6. Selection criteria for financially sponsoring visits of scientists and

technologists to rural schools/colleges for practical demonstration of S&T

in the selected districts of NWFP………………..…………………………… 16

3.7. Selection criteria of university/academia and industry to submit joint research

projects………………………………………………………………………….. 17

ANNEX - B

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3.8. Formulation of ToRs to carry out a resource efficiency exercise of a university/academia

department/ R&D organization…………………………… 18

3.9. Selection criteria for providing support to R&D efforts(research projects)... 19

3.10. Formulation of ToRs for the sectoral expert groups………………………. 20

3.11 Creation of R&D cell in the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peshawar

and formulation of ToRs thereof…………………………………. 21

3.12. Composition of Think Tank, AIGR and sectoral expert group-suggestions for

improvement……………………………………………………………… 22

3.13 Recommendations on the frequency of the meeting of AIGR, Think

Tank and the Sectoral Expert groups………………………………………… 34

3.14 Methodology of problems/issues identification in the industry………….. 35

3.15. Input on establishment of the Provincial/Regional/National Research

Development Corporation…………………………………………………….. 36

3.16. Formulation of indicators for measuring the performance of the forum….. 37

3.17. Exposure\visits of the members of the Think Tank to developed countries… 38

3.18. Any other item included by the members or the participants………………. 39

4. Feedback form …………………………………………………………………… 40

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Agenda of the Workshop

Day 1:

1. Review and firming up of ToRs for the roundtable, Research Promotion & Support Cell

(RPSC) and Research Promotion & Support sub-cell (RPSSC).

2. Criteria development for the placement of R & D graduates in industry.

3. Criteria development for the Best Research Award of industrial importance.

4. Selection criteria of the department / organization for preparing a five year research road

map.

5. Formulation of parameters for mapping of R&D facilities, human resource and efforts in

NWFP.

6. Selection criteria of scientists and technologists to visit rural schools/colleges for

practical demonstration of S&T in the selected districts of NWFP.

7. Selection criteria of a university and an industry to submit a joint research projects.

8. Formulation of ToRs to carry out a Resource Efficiency Exercise of university/ academia

department/ R&D organization.

9. Selection criteria of research project(s) for providing support to R&D efforts.

10. Formulation of ToR’s for the Sectoral Expert Groups.

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Day 2 :

11. Creation of R&D cell in the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peshawar and

formulation of ToRs thereof.

12. Composition of Think Tank, Roundtable and the sectoral expert groups - suggestions for

improvement.

13. Recommendations on frequency of the meeting of Round Table, Think Tank and Sectoral

expert groups.

14. Methodology of problem/issue identification in the industry.

15. Input on establishment of the provincial/ regional/ national research development

corporation.

16. Formulation of Indicators for Measuring the Performance of the Forum

17. Exposure Visits of the members of Think Tank to developed countries

18. Any other item included by members and participants.

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AIGR Planning cum Consultative Workshop, Peshawar, 26-27 May, 2009-Photographs

Minister ST&IT is distributing certificates during closing ceremony

Participants during the Technical and Policy Sessions / discussions during AIGR

two days workshop