The people of Gilgit-Baltistan need training in mining sector entrepreneurship through collaboration between Chinese and Pakistani academia and relevant stakeholders, said Dr Zakir Hussain Zakir, Director of Planning and Development, University of Baltistan, Skardu, in an interview with Wealth PK.
He said, “Despite being rich in gems and minerals, GB is lagging behind in lapidary work, proper equipment and marketing methods. Also, many youth are unemployed. To address this issue, University of Baltistan, Skardu (UOBS) has launched an associate degree in Geology and Mineral Exploration in 2023 with the collaboration of Yunnan Land Resources Vocational College (YLRVC), China. The Department of Geological Sciences and Minerals at UOBS was established in 2021.”
He said the course will be three years long, with two years of studies completed in Pakistan and the remaining year at the YLRVC in China, creating a more practical schedule – a new development for the new School of Geological Sciences and Minerals at UOBS.
Dr Zakir told Wealth PK, “Before starting the degree programme, UOBS and YLRVC have come together to launch this extensive diploma programme. Students will be trained in e-commerce, approach local and international markets and become entrepreneurs. For this, they will be sent on internships in different companies, allowing them to carve out their own path before graduating. Besides gaining expertise in mineralogy, students are also learning Chinese language.”
He said that the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) is also actively working to promote entrepreneurship in the mineral and gemology sector. To this end, he announced that AGRSP will support young entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary equipment. To receive this support, candidates will need to submit a work plan. After their proposals are assessed, they will receive basic machinery and necessary tools free of charge. They will then be tasked with improving it themselves.
“Apart from coordinating laboratories in China, we also conducted practical workshops on gemstone cutting and polishing with the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and recently UOBS and PIFD in collaboration with the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR),” Dr Zakir added.
“We need to partner with China to increase the number of entrepreneurs in the gemstone sector. In-kind initiatives are important not only in the UK but also in KP and Balochistan,” gemstone exporter Zakir Ullah (aka Julai Lal) told WealthPK. He said promoting the gemstone sector and improving opportunities would help Pakistan come out of its economic crisis.
Speaking to Wealth PK, Syed Minhajuddin Shah, president, Pakistan Association of Rough, Unpolished Precious and Semi-precious Stones Commercial Exporters (APCEA), said, “The importance of China’s collaboration to strengthen entrepreneurship in the gemstone sector through academia and industry is definitely a good initiative. APCEA is also interested in partnering with UOBS to initiate such activities in KP province and all other places where gemstone raw materials are in abundance.”
“Jewelry has emerged as a leading sector and it is high time it was properly launched in Pakistan. Promoting training and academic education in the sector and empowering entrepreneurs can create new opportunities.”
