Curriculums of universities need to be revised and updated to include a right mix of social sciences and marketable subjects which can guarantee jobs to the graduating students.

The remarks were made by Pakistani President Dr Arif Alvi while meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) at his official residence in Islamabad, according to a press release received by WealthPK.

The press release stated that the delegation was headed by PAL Chairman Dr Yousaf Khushk and included other notable members of the Academy.

The President stressed the need to update the university curriculums so that students can develop the abilities of critical thinking, rational reasoning, logic, and analysis. He said it is important that our students excel in both the literary and marketable fields.

The President appreciated the efforts of the PAL in promoting arts and literature in the country. He said the Academy needs to increase its reach so that more and more people can become its members and make use of its services.

According to the President, digitalization will assist PAL in its literary services, and will help it to proliferate its products and increase their reach through web-based and mobile applications. He continued, “if digitalization is combined with an effective marketing strategy, we may see a revolution in literary landscape of the country.”

President Alvi praised the PAL for its efforts to preserve Pakistan’s various regional languages, especially those that were underutilised and in danger of extinction. “Every language,” he said, “is a storehouse of unique information, wisdom, and traditions that must be conserved and made accessible to both the present and future generations in order to improve the society as a whole.”

The president advised the Academy to strengthen its networking efforts by including relevant local and international players in order to learn from their experiences and best practises. He stressed innovation for PAL to increase its efficiency.

In order to accomplish its primary goals and objectives, he also recommended the PAL to make sure that its budget is used judiciously and prudently.

The PAL chairman told the President that the Academy provided monthly help to indigenous authors, poets, and bereaved families of deceased authors, who were struggling financially or going through difficult times.

He continued by saying that the programme had benefited 1000 families of writers who were still alive as well as many bereaved families of writers.

He added that the Academy kept a library at its headquarters, with more than 30,000 books and periodicals available, to give research sources to academics, poets, writers, and literary students with essential reference materials.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Academy is an independent organisation that oversees and manages all government programmes for the welfare of Pakistan’s writer community as well as the advancement of Pakistani languages and literature. Additionally, it publishes periodicals of literature in Urdu, English, and other Pakistani languages and recommends candidates for different literary honours and prizes.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk