LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for promoting research, industrial linkages, training, education and employment opportunities, a statement said.

FPCCI senior vice president Khawaja Shahzeb Akram and LCWU vice chancellor Prof Dr Bushra Mirza signed the document at the FPCCI regional office.

The MoU aimed at creating an effective academia-industry linkage to establish long-term and sustainable partnership for the joint policy-oriented research activities, to foster the culture of entrepreneurship, and play a supporting role in Pakistan’s business and economic growth.

Akram said that the FPCCI wanted to have extensive and deep-rooted linkages to create synergy between the academia and industries for the betterment and welfare of youth and the nation.

Blaming the government for the high rate of unemployment has become a routine. No doubt, the government should create opportunities to control the high rate of unemployment but the most acceptable argument was that “we have not promoted entrepreneurship”, he added.

He emphasised that academia and industries must cooperate and coordinate for appropriate development of the country.

Dr Bushra Mirza assured full cooperation to the FPCCI and expressed the hope that the MoU would yield far reaching results.

More job fairs needed to be organised to provide skilled manpower and to meet the needs of industries, she added.