Pakistan and China have agreed to form a joint working group to initiate social sector projects under the multi-billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) portfolio.
Presently four projects have been planned. These include:
1. People to People Exchanges
This scheme involves cross-cultural and media exchanges through yearly programs. The programs will be geared to promote Chinese and Pakistani culture and heritage through movies, dramas and theatre.
2. Transfer of Knowledge in Different Sectors
This will constitute training workshops by industrial specialists on the development of rural and urban industrial zones, job creation, SMEs, water resources management and treatment and agriculture.
3. Establishment of Pakistan Academy of Social Sciences (PASS)
This institutional collaboration will promote social sciences with the help of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The consultative process has been commenced and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been made a focal agency.
4. Transfer of Knowledge in Education sector through Consortium of Business Schools
A consortium of top business schools from China and Pakistan led by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for the transfer of knowledge.
As skill development is necessary to support any economic project, both countries have thus expressed a dire need to include education-oriented projects alongside energy and infrastructure ones.
