SEED Ventures’ Post

'Let’s Talk About This’ – Ms. Maheen Ghauri, IBA Karachi’s Dean of Student Affairs, sits down with Dawn English to discuss the gender gap in higher education and the art of navigating careers while breaking stereotypes. Watch the complete episode this Sunday: https://lnkd.in/dtakEmtJ #IBAKarachi #IBA #Education #LetsTalkAboutThis #DawnPodcast

As much as green-hearted I am, the presence of #Pakistan in this list is ironic. From one viewpoint, the country is among the leading oasis in highest number of #universities and on the other hand, the same country has: - Higher #education enrollment ratio is less than 2% - Plagiarized #publications of Deans and Directors are apparent (my own MBA projects were referred without my consent and citation) - The white-collar #unemployment rate stands above 5% - The unsupportive start-up landscape due to high #cost of #capital borrowing - The country stands in the last quartile of #moral & #corruption index - The #macroeconomic indicators are steeping and deteriorating - 110th Rank by World Economic Forum on global #competitiveness - 108th Rank by #WorldBank on Corporate #Governance & Business Practices I am associated as Adjunct Faculty with few of the #business schools of Karachi and in each of semester review session or #policy #townhall meeting, I have always been a loud advocate that, “Pakistan doesn’t need more universities; we need an institutional fixture to our existing system”. And cardinal missing piece in the jigsaw is “Academic Rigor”, which has been brutally compromised across the educational #valuechain. If this is not addressed at priority, we’ll keep on experiencing mushroom #growth of more universities every year and they will keep on producing #incompetence and operating like “Degree Mills” with no impact on either society, economy or personal wellbeing.

While visiting Pakistan recently for a project with Deutsche Welle Urdu, I had the privilege of interviewing some incredible women in Lahore. These women, part of the 40% of Pakistan's population who are illiterate or uneducated and live in rural areas and urban slums, These women work in the homes of the city's wealthy residents. Despite their challenging circumstances, they are dedicated to educating their children and themselves. These women, part of TCF's Aagahi program, are living proof of the transformative power of literacy. Their journey towards literacy is a testament to the impact of education on self-esteem and everyday life. Launched in 2004-05, Aagahi provides illiterate girls and women from rural areas and urban slums the opportunity to learn to read, write, and gain basic math skills. The program has rightfully earned the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy in 2017. Each year, over 20,000 learners enroll in this life-changing four-month course, covering not only literacy and numeracy but also essential topics like health, hygiene, and financial literacy. In 2019-20, Aagahi extended its reach by partnering with a textile company to bring literacy classes to factory floors, further empowering illiterate workers. Witnessing these women confidently read bus numbers, calculate change, and send text messages was profoundly moving. Their journey towards literacy is a testament to the impact of education on self-esteem and everyday life. #Aagahi #TCF #LiteracyForAll #Empowerment #Lahore #Pakistan #dwاردو #Deutschewelle #IFTCF #UNESCO

My write-up on current Bangladesh in todays daily " Samakal" . I argue strongly the need to create a just society with distributive justice and principles both merit and equity. In addition three sectors are sustaining Bangladesh, Agriculture, Garments workers and the Expatriate workers. Current administration must address these three sectorswith highest priority. In addition it is important to address the slide in quality of the education sector in Bangladesh https://lnkd.in/gmZCcdHG

The Institute Phase 1, where the Islamabad and Karachi cohorts have been together, concludes successfully. Over the past two weeks, our Fellows have been exploring what makes an excellent classroom and discovered their own stories. They have been asking important questions: What do Pakistan's children need from us? What does being part of this movement mean? What values define us? Who else needs to join us at the table? This week, the Karachi Fellows are heading back to begin preparations for the Summer School starting next week, and the Islamabad Fellows will do the same. How will the next phase of the Institute equip our Fellows? Stay tuned to find out! #TeachForPakistan #LeadershipBeginsHere

"CEEOIndia observes World Literacy Day in Jammu and Kashmir with a renewed pledge to eradicate illiteracy and promote education in our region. We believe that literacy is a fundamental right and a crucial tool for personal and societal development. Our focus is on providing access to quality education, especially for women, children, and marginalized communities. Through our literacy programs, skill development initiatives, and advocacy efforts, we strive to create a literate and informed society in Jammu and Kashmir. Let us work together to make literacy a reality for all and build a brighter future for our region. #WorldLiteracyDay #CEEOIndia #JammuAndKashmir #LiteracyIsPower #EducationIsKey"

👨🏫 Cohort 4 of my masterclasses on Building Products and Services that Customers Love through cultivating product and marketing sense started last week. I started the laying the foundation for the next four weeks by taking my learners through a history lesson on the origins of trade and modern commerce, we looked at trade in early stone age, then we looked at the Akamba community during colonial Kenya, followed by the silk road trade route, and finally the age of exploration. From there we explored the differences between trade and modern commerce and how monetization of products and services came to be. We topped this off by dissecting the value equation and looked at our first case study - The Singer Sewing Machine! If you grew up between the 60s and 90s in Africa, your mother probably owned a Singer Sewing Machine back at home. At some point tailoring was one of the most sought after careers for women in the world. Here's a short story on how this came to be. #product #gotomarketstrategy #customerservice

FOSPAH (Sindh) held collaborative awareness sessions at Isra University, University of Sindh, and SABS University of Art, Design, and Heritage in Jamshoro, to address the pressing issue of harassment across educational institutions in Sindh. Expanding these crucial discussions to smaller cities outside of Karachi is absolutely essential. Every individual, regardless of where they live, deserves access to education and workplaces that are free from the threat of harassment.  The tragedies involving girls like Noshin Shah, Naila Rind, and Nimrata Kumari remind us of the urgency of our work. We must continue pushing for change and holding perpetrators accountable. With increased awareness and action, we can make our educational institutions and workplaces safer for everyone. This is especially critical given the low literacy rate for girls in Pakistan. Having these discussions with the faculty and students in educational institutions is very important in order to increase awareness of the law and to equip them with the tools they need to stand up against harassment and most importantly to encourage ‘bystander intervention’, where we recognize harassment for what it is and take action by reporting it. #womenempowerment #awareness #harassment

"Exciting visit from Mr. Hitanshu Bhardwaj, Director of International Relations at UnizPortal to our CHS Education - Consultancy for Higher Study Abroad Office in Dhaka, Bangladesh! It was a great opportunity to discuss new possibilities for higher education abroad. Thank you Tasnim Chowdhoury, Business Development Manager , Bangladesh for your initiative. #CHSEducation #Unizportal #HigherEducationAbroad #Dhaka"

According to a report by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Islamabad boasts the highest literacy rate in Pakistan, achieving 84% for individuals aged 10 and older. This positions Islamabad as a leader in educational achievement within the country. Other top cities with notable literacy rates include Karachi (75%), Lahore (74%), Rawalpindi (70%), and Peshawar (66%). Despite these successes, the national average literacy rate in Pakistan remains around 60%, highlighting the need for continued efforts to enhance education across the country. There is a significant distinction between urban and rural areas, with urban regions having much higher literacy rates compared to their rural counterparts. By analyzing the effective strategies implemented in Islamabad and the other top-performing cities, policymakers and educators can work towards elevating literacy rates nationwide, ensuring a brighter future for all Pakistanis.