Strategic importance of professional education and human resource development

Respected elders, brothers and sisters,

It is a great honor to be in the midst of so eminent members of the community from around the world.

It is a very auspicious day. It Is a day of rejoicing that we have assembled here to deliberate about the ways and means for keeping, the community at the global level vibrant, robust and ticking. The partition of India In 1947 had, like others, uprooted the community. There was a great exodus. While some immigrated to Europe, South Africa and the USA etc., great majority migrated to Pakistan. However, as they say, the hammer shatters glass but forges steel. The pangs of migration were, with God's blessings, soon mitigated and overcome and because of the dynamism that Is Its distinguishing hallmark of the community reemerged as a vibrant community In a very short while. It Is Indeed a continuing, great success story since then.

As they say, there is always a spring after autumn. The migration has been beneficial. The Community is no more a closed community. It is no more a community with marginal literacy rate. it is now totally transformed community, open to change. The latter position is one of the prime movers for continued success.

The community has traveled a long way forward. It is no more a community of business intermediaries. The members of the community now, by God's Grace, own big, rather very big Industries and it is now an economic force to be reckoned with.

It is a mater of great satisfaction that the community has come to have a different mind-set. It no more lives in isolation, as it was used to in the pre-partition period.

The community is not, as in pre-partition period, restricted to business. The community had, by and large, realized the significance of education as an engine of progress as far back as 1950's. As its result, quite a sizeable number of community members had opted for education and particularly professional education like chartered accountants, bankers, doctors and engineers and business managers.

The rnajority of these had belonged to border line middle class. This was a major shift in the community's social make-up. It had augured well for community's future in that they provided role models and were a source of inspiration and encouragement to the upcoming members of the community. Good number of them has crossed over to affluent segment of the community.

The time then was stable and education was within financial reach of common man. It Is no more so. In consequence, the pace of upcoming members of the community opting for professional qualifications has much weakened. And this because professional education has a substantially long gestation period of 4-6 years those members of the borderline community, that generally used to opt for the professional education, cannot spare In the face of extreme economic compulsions.

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It is time to note the marked difference between 50's and 60's and the time we are in now. They are virtually different The 50s and 60s were stable time. Things were at hand and financially in reach. It is no more so. The time we are confronted with is a turbulent time; the change is the only constant now.

The time ahead is forecast to be still more fluid and more turbulent. Skill requirements are in a perpetual motion; only the change is a constant. What is science fiction today may become reality in a short period of only 4-6 years hence.

Education has become quite expensive. Professional education is still more expensive. While normal education itself is already beyond the financial means of an average borderline middle class family, professional education has slipped from the financial reach of even of a middle class family, let alone borderline families. For instance, before becoming eligible for chartered accountants' studentship, a candidate needs to qualify preparatory examination. It takes two years time and about Rs.100, 000 to complete It. The position in the case of other professional examinations is no different. Take for Instance, the Information technology related education. Education in good academic institutions, e.g. FAST, needs over Rs.100, 000 per year as tuition and other expenses alone for four long years. Even IT diploma certification courses like Oracle, MCSE call for no less than Rs. 50, 000 per annum.

It is a situation of serious proportion. It shall, in the medium term, seriously dent the upward socio-economic swing of the community and might, in the long run, jeopardize, neutralise or nullity the collective progress of the community. The situation merits serious attention of and redress by the community so that the adverse trend may be contained before it causes grievous injury.

I am happy to Inform that In Pakistan, the number of the chartered accountants of the community is 300 plus out of the total of less than 2700 chartered accountants in the country. I have mentioned it with a purpose. Which Is that the number of chartered accountants of the community represents a tact that provides immense satisfaction when It Is compared with the proportion of 2700 chartered accountants In a population 130 million plus vis-à-vis over 300 in a community of 500, 000. The position in relation to other professions is no different. In hindsight, these attainments and achievements have bean possible because of correct reading of the needs of what in 50's and 60's was a future.

Let me, before proceeding further; remind that we as elders of the time owe great responsibility towards the upcoming children and the posterity of the community. We need to be visionary, like our elders were. We are in a more volatile time and the future is more uncertain than In the 50's and 60's. We need therefore to show greater foresight than them in reading the future and putting in place plans for upcoming children to fare better than us. Vile also have to increase the size of our stride and accelerate the pace of progress.

It is almost stating the obvious that change always brings its own social and other problems. The obverse of the above stated broad based radical change is that the community now has not three social strata, namely, affluent, middle class and poor; in line with the general social pattern, a fourth strata, namely, border-line middle class has also arisen in between the middle class and poor, We know that It Is a very delicate, fragile class. It needs special economic care to provide congenial environment In order to let them graduate to middle class rather than let them slide back Into the category of poor through economic neglect.

Until very recently, 'owners', though Incorporated as limited liability companies, were actually ran the Industry and large-scale business, as they wanted to. This set-up is under severe strains. As the things are moving now, it is not an exaggerated forecast to make that this set-up, under the pressure of stakeholders and changed business environments and new corporate laws, Is to cease to exist sooner than we presently visualise. In a short while, professional managers shall manage the companies. This change is unstoppable. It is already a normal practice in the UK, the USA and other European countries etc. In view of the globalisation and the world becoming a global village, other countries cannot remain insulated from International trend for long.

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Some hold the view that the impending change shall be far reaching. They forecast it to be civilization altering. Readying arid being ready to succeed in such turbulent times needs great vision and policies within the context of such broad vision. It can't and should not be left to individual efforts. A couple of Individuals moving forward would not alleviate the community's position Moving the community in its totality forward needs very well orchestrated, what might be termed centralised, effort.

It is indeed a matter of great satisfaction that in addition to being a dynamic, pulsating community, God in His Mercy has blessed the community with a very great philanthropic Inner urge. What is needed is to coordinate and channelise philanthropic donations In a way that more purposely and pointedly helps the collective economic welt being of the community more durably.

I suggest that:
A board of professional members of the community should set at the international level for the promotion of professional education and working out strategies for human resource development in the face of highly volatile future.

This board should coiled relevant data about existing professionals and keep it updated.

The board should monitor the international job trends, both for medium-and long term and plan human resource development to suit the forecast needs scenario. To do this, the board should fix tangible targets so that reality on ground is measurable In concrete terms.

The board should raise funds at the international level to facilitate the implementation of the plan.

Each country should have a national board.

The international board should allocate funds to such boards with reference to the community's population for implementing the target.

In order to move the community collectively and make long-range social impact, the National boards should hunt talent, especially among borderline middle class and poor and encourage them to go for professional education.

To achieve the just stated object, students should be extended the facility of Qarz-e-Hasna with no mark up. The continuation of the facility should be linked with their educational performance that should be wall darned and articulated.

The community should try to absorb such professionals.

I should add here that the Ismaili community has this arrangement and strategy for a long time now. Of course, the advantage with ismalis is that they have a spiritual head and apt its result they, as followers of faith, implement his 'dictates' with religious fervor. The memon community cart and must neutralise this disadvantage through leadership and collective wisdom. This is core need of the time. Efforts at Individual level may not succeed in forging the desired future of the community as a whole. The philosopher poet has very rightly cautioned:

My fellow members of the community, it is a critical issue. It should not be dragged into long deliberations; it cannot brook delay. The change and change for the better are two different things and a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Let us turn face to sun so that shadows fall behind. There Is a Danish proverb that says, "He who would leap far must take $ long run". For the community to succeed in the long leap let us take a long run and run at a faster speed.

I conclude by reminding that the penalty for complacency Is being left behind.

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