Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) along with a delegation met with Vice Admiral (R) Asif Khaliq, Rector, Bahria University, and discussed prospects of collaboration between the two institutions to promote entrepreneurship and improve the competitiveness of the industrial sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral (R) Asif Khaliq, Rector, Bahria University briefed the ICCI delegation about the initiatives of his institution. He said that Bahria is working to groom today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders. He said that Bahria is providing an environment for promising minds to come together, develop new ideas, and make significant contributions to the country's economic development. He said that academia has cutting-edge research while industry faces many challenges, therefore, close cooperation between Bahria and ICCI would help resolve issues of industry and produce innovative products for exports. He said that Bahria is ready to join hands with ICCI for the mentorship of students to give them practical skills and experience that would improve their employability.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry stressed for close academia-industry linkages to address industrial problems and improve industrial productivity. He said that universities are producing good research and close collaboration between academia-industry would help tailor such research works to meet industry needs. He said that academia-industry linkages can lead to the commercialization of academic research, promote innovations, and accelerate the economic growth of the country. He said universities should play a role in producing IT professionals who could significantly contribute to improving the country’s IT exports.

Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that ICCI and Bahria should join hands to develop curricula and training programs that align with the needs of the industry.