‘Education is far more than a means to achieve employability’

Rawalpindi:In response to the growing need for market-aligned education, the Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) and the Centre for Learning Excellence (CLE) at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) here Monday collaborated to organise an impactful workshop titled ‘Revisiting Outcome-Based Education to Enhance Employability.’

Vice Chancellor of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Prof. Dr. Bushra Mirza (Pride of Performance, T.I.), praised the workshop’s focus on education and employability, remarking, “Education is far more than a means to achieve employability, but in today’s era, employability is of paramount importance. It leads to financial independence and stands as a prime indicator of women empowerment.” She emphasized the importance of integrating market-oriented skills in academic programs to prepare graduates for the evolving demands of the professional world.

During her welcome address, Prof. Dr. Bushra Yasmin, Director QEC highlighted that the sessions of the workshop are tailored to meet the specific needs of departments and aims at continuous improvement of curriculum to align it with the global market requirements. She emphasized the importance of a customized approach to ensure the workshop's relevance and effectiveness in addressing the requirements of both academia and industry. The event featured a series of insightful sessions aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry, providing both faculty and students with actionable strategies to enhance employability.

The workshop commenced with an engaging session by Prof. Dr. Junaid Ali Khan titled "Outcome-Based Education: A Journey from Understanding to Implementation". Dr. Khan delivered an in-depth presentation on the principles of outcome-based education (OBE), focusing on its transformative potential for aligning academic practices with real-world demands. He detailed practical strategies for implementing OBE frameworks and underscored their significance in achieving academic and professional success.

The second session on Seeing Academia through the Lens of Industry, facilitated by Omair Abubakar, adopted an interactive and activity-based approach. Abubakar guided participants through activities that identified gaps between academic curricula and industry expectations. He emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary approaches, soft skills, artificial intelligence (AI) proficiency, networking, and self-driven learning as critical components of employability.

The workshop concluded with an inspiring alumni session featuring Zubash Tahir and Nazeeha Jawad, both successful graduates of Fatima Jinnah Women University. They shared their entrepreneurial journeys, highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship, resilience, and innovation during their university years and beyond. Their stories served as a source of motivation, demonstrating how skills acquired at FJWU can lead to impactful careers.

In the concluding remarks, Dr. Shaheryar Naveed, Director CLE emphasized the critical role of faculty exposure in bridging the academia-industry divide. He stressed that faculty must adapt their teaching methodologies to nurture market-oriented skills and polish graduate attributes, ensuring that students are well-prepared for evolving industry demands.

The workshop marked a significant step in bridging the academia-industry divide and highlighted Fatima Jinnah Women University’s role as a leader in empowering students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the modern job market. Participants left with practical strategies to enhance their teaching methods, align academic outcomes with industry requirements, and inspire students to pursue meaningful and impactful careers. Dr. Junaid Ali Khan delivered an engaging session during the workshop organized by the QEC of Fatima Jinnah Women University, along with the university's faculty.