Professor Bhimani delivered an address to staff and students at Karakoram International University Hunza Campus in Pakistan, on successfully preparing for the workforce of the future. He noted that philosophers, social commentators and policy makers have been concerned with promoting people’s happiness for centuries. Professor Bhimani stated that the change in happiness in the very recent past based on global rankings shows Pakistan to be undergoing a positive step change. A key dimension of happiness for most individuals is associated with work activities and the ability to effectively prepare a country’s workforce of the future is linked to such factors as social support systems, life expectancy, economic growth, and perceptions of freedom among other variables. Pakistan is putting into place important structural changes whilst benefitting from population demographics which suggest immense potential for economic growth over the next three decades. Professor Bhimani cautioned that quality education is key to enabling solid growth for the country to be realised just as is the participation of women in the workforce and across all dimensions of social, economic, political and cultural life. Karakoram International University’s commitment to solid education provision and its promotion of female students across all its programmes point to the forms of investments that will significantly contribute to Pakistani society and workforce welfare. Professor Bhimani identified avenues which are open to students wishing to undertake further studies abroad and he pointed to ways in which the university’s departments and its academics areas as well as its mountain location could make contributions that have global relevance. He stressed language, technological and applied business skills as being essential for progress and noted that lifelong education can now be expected to be the norm for ensuring any country’s pursuit of domestic growth and global competitiveness.
Professor Alnoor Bhimani speaks at Karakoram International University