SMIU organises “Sustainovation Expo 2025,” which attracted 16 universities of the province
Imran
Karachi:
Sindh Madressatul Islam University’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) and the Business Incubation Center (BIC) jointly organised “Sustainovation Expo 2025” on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at the Talpur House of SMIU. The Expo was inaugurated by Dr. Tariq Rafi, Chairman of Sindh HEC along with Vice Chancellor of SMIU Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai and Dr Rana Shahzad Qaiser, Director General Information Science and Technology Department, Government of Sindh.
The SMIU received 110 nominations from 25 universities across the province, out of which 35 projects of 16 universities were shortlisted and were displayed during the Expo. These entrepreneurial ventures and research projects were praised by the Chairman Sindh HEC, Vice Chander SMIU and Director General Information Science and Technology Department, Government of Sindh during their observation of the startups of 22 universities.
Addressing the participants of the Expo Dr. Tariq Rafi lauded the efforts of SMIU for organising a very important expo to encourage students for participation in the field of entrepreneurship. The Chairman Sindh HEC said the SMIU is leading university in the province that is emphasizing on the entrepreneurship and startups. He said more than two million students from the public sector universities are graduating yearly, on the contrary there are no jobs for such number of graduates. Therefore, he suggested that, it is better for job seekers to work as entrepreneurship.
The Sindh HEC chairman further said that market economy is shrinking due to the Artificial Intelligence. Giving example in this respect he said a single person is replacing four and five persons today. That is why the skills have become more important than degrees. “I didn’t discourage students, but they have to acquire skills, which are need of present day world,” he said and added that Elon Musk and Bill Gates were dropout students, but they had brilliant creative minds, hence they succeeded in their endeavours. He said we have to bring our students out of the box, then they could do something in future. He was of the view that we are not able to compete on international level in I.T field at this time, but we are competing with the countries which are in our surroundings. Hence we have to prepare our younger generation to compete on the international level.
Dr. Tariq Rafi suggested that the Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai should form a think tank that could work on new ideas related to the field of I.T. Likewise other universities of the province must give priority to startups, because this is the only way forward today.
Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai, Vice Chancellor of SMIU in his speech welcomed Sindh HEC Chairman Dr. Tariq Rafi and Mr. Rana Shahzad Qaiser for attending the Expo. He said SMIU is giving priority to engage its students in innovative ideas for startups that could benefit them to enter in the market without any difficulty. Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai further said SMIU’s is organising two big events of its students in a year to introduced them with the field of entrepreneurship and industry. He said these young entrepreneurs will bring a big change in Sindh province and in the country through their innovative projects.
Mr. Rana Shahzad Kaiser, Information Science and Technology Department, Government of Sindh in his speech appreciated Sindh Madressatul Islam University for organising the mega startup event, where a large number of universities of Sindh have participated. He said SMIU is understanding the need of the day that is why it is engaging its students to prepare their projects that could pave the way for their success in future. He said the Government of Sindh is also giving its priority to startups in the province as younger generation could select the field of entrepreneurship.
Earlier, Dr. Zahid Ali Channar, Dean faculty of Management, Business Administration and Commerce presented welcome address. Director ORIC Dr. Mansoor Ahmed Khuhro, Advisor to the Vice Chancellor of SMIU Dr. Abdul Hafeez Khan, chairpersons of different academic departments, heads of various administrative sections, faculty and students attended the inauguration ceremony. In the end Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai presented shields to the guests.
