News: Student's Executive Survey 2008 | CSF acknowledges LCWU students contribution to survey
Name of Newspaper: The Post
Date of Publication: Sunday, 01 June, 2008
URL:

Staff Reporter

LAHORE: Supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF), Saturday acknowledged the contribution of female students and the faculty members of Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) for their conducting of the Pakistan Executive Opinion Survey 2008 for the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009.

Rehmatullah Javed, Chairman Competitiveness Committee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), being the guest of honor, awarded the group with certificates of appreciation during a ceremony held here Saturday, attended by Dr Professor Bushra Mateen VC LCWU, Daud Sharif, Chief Operating Officer CSF and leading representatives from the business community.

Delivering the key note speech, Rehmatullah Javed said ranking has become a global phenomenon, 'applied on all aspects to analyze quality, competitiveness as well as define the potential of growth.' "The global rating of Pakistan's economy carried out each year by the World Economic Forum provides us all with a road map for improving our economic situation," he added.

CSF, as the partner institution of the World Economic Forum (WEF), recently carried out the Executive Opinion Survey in Pakistan, in which more than 230 top level business executives were surveyed to capture their opinion on the business environment in Pakistan.

This year, CSF proposed a new strategy to the WEF to engage the academia in conducting the Executive Opinion Survey. More than 75 students across Pakistan were selected to interact with the leading business representatives and gain knowledge about the economic situation of Pakistan and its ability to achieve sustained economic growth.

Out of the 75 students, 22 were from the Lahore College of Women University (LCWU).

Professor Riffat Saqlain, Dean of Social Sciences at LCWU expressed her appreciation of CSF and its mandate, saying the survey gave an opportunity to 'our female students to the real economic, technical, financial and environmental issues in Pakistan.' "By interacting with the business community, these students have been empowered and sensitized to identify obstacles to economic growth, design better economic policies and build up the ability to search for innovative and feasible solutions to challenges; thus becoming more aware of better career choices and empowering them to play their significant role in the development of Pakistan's economy," she added.

Daud Sharif, Chief Operating Officer CSF said by engaging the academia in the exercise, CSF 'aims at developing a group of future business leaders, who will be sensitized on the importance of Global Competitiveness, its 12 pillars and the role of business community in measuring the Global Competitiveness Index.'

The Global Competitiveness Report has been the World Economic Forum's flagship publication since 1979 and is widely recognized as the world's leading cross-country comparator of factors affecting economic competitiveness and growth.

Support for CSF is part of the $ 1.5 billion in aid that the US Government is providing, through USAID, to Pakistan over five years to improve economic growth, education, health, governance and for earthquake reconstruction.