19 December 2008 Business Recorder
Aga Khan University (AKU) on Thursday organised a seminar on “AKU Medical College and Its Journey in 21st Century” at Aga Khan University Auditorium. President AKU, Firoz Rasul in his welcome address said that AKU was charted in 1983 as Pakistan’s first private university and within a very short span of time it become a best centre of medical research in the country.
He said that the objectives of the university is to promote human welfare in general, and the welfare of the people of Pakistan in particular, by disseminating knowledge and providing instruction, training, research and services in the health sciences, education and such other branches of learning.
Dr David Fraser in his keynote address on “Future challenges and opportunities of medical colleges in the developing world” said that the medical colleges in the developing countries are facing severe problems due to lack of infrastructure.
He said that the governments in developing countries are least concerned to promote education due to low GDP and low education budget. The developing countries in this period of global financial crises, focusing on survival instead of improving living standards of the residents.
He said that the other hindrance in the way of promoting health sciences in developing countries is lack of resources in the country. He said that deteriorating law and order situation in some developing countries like Pakistan has also hit hard the education sector.
He said that new inventions are happening in the field of medical sciences in the world but in developing countries the process of the development of health sciences is halted. The unavailability of professional teachers in medical colleges, the education standards in the developing countries are going down on each passing day.
Ismailimail 