Zubair Qureshi
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Muhammad Qasim Khan Suri Wednesday inaugurated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) wall at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) with an object to create awareness about SDG goals among students and the faculty.
Pakistan Red Crescent Society Chairman Abrarul Haq, Secretary Young Parliamentarians Forum, MNA Uzma Jadoon, SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas and FJWU Vice Chancellor Dr. Saima Hamid were also present on this occasion. Department of Sociology in collaboration with Sustainable Development Organization had organized the ceremony.
Addressing on the occasion, Qasim Khan Suri said the efforts were being made to ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development. Being future of the country, youth should follow the SDGs in letter and spirit and work hard as this would help the country and it could be brought at par with the developed nations.
SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas briefed the audience regarding the initiative, saying, the purpose to launch the SDGs wall was to educate the students about 17 SDGs recognized by the United Nations.
“The students and the faculty members will be engaged in the research and advocacy of the SDGs with an aim to involve them in the development process of the country and to achieve the global targets” Syed Kausar Abbas said. Similar walls would also be launched in other public and private universities as well, he added.
The development of the country needs active participation of youth and academia and it is imperative to educate the youth about the SDGs. Uzma Jadoon said that the parliamentarians are playing an important role in achieving SDGs. She further said that the young parliamentarians’ forum is engaging different communities for dialogue on SDGs and engage the communities and the local stakeholders in the sustainable development of the country.
Abrar-ul-Haq said that Pakistan is blessed to have 65% youth in its total population. The youth of the country needs to play an important role in sustainable development. The incumbent government is keen to bring the youth into mainstream and involve them in the decision making process for more inclusive and sustainable development.
Saima Hamid said that the higher education community is playing an important role in the implementation of the SDGs. FJWU’s vision is to aspire and innovate for a sustainable future by promoting higher education, research, collaboration and community engagement to achieve societal empowerment.
The universities can play an active role in implementation of the SDGs, she said adding, academia with think tanks and other institutions like SSDO can play a pivotal role in advancing the SDGs agenda. FJWU through its ORIC office is consolidating its linkages with social sector and industry. The department of Sociology, FJWU is recognized for undertaking this important initiative to create awareness among faculty and students about SDGs, she added.
