SCO’s Expansion Prospects and Challenges way forward Essay

  1. Introduction

2. Overview of SCO and Its Recent Expansion

a.  Establishment of SCO

b.  Geographical and historical overview

c.   Previous and new members

3. Importance and Significance of SCO in the Contemporary World

a.       Enormous potential for trade

b.       Shifting the global balance

c.       A step toward a multi-polar world

4. Prospects Emerging out of SCO’s Recent Expansion

a)       Economic Prospects

•       Increased multilateral trade

•       Opening up of new transit routes

•       Increased access to global markets

•       Cooperation in medicine, energy, food and technology sectors

b)      Political Prospects

•       Strong Eurasian bloc

•       Decreasing tensions among member states

•       Active role in conflict-resolution

•       Better cooperation against terrorism

•       Use of ARTS platform for security cooperation

•       Better border management

c)       Social Prospects

•       Effective role against smuggling

•       Minimizing the drug trade

•       Cooperation against human trafficking

•       Cultural exchange

d)      Prospects Peculiar to China and Russia

•       Strong regional allies

•       Access to new markets

•       Increased influence in global politics

•       Countering USA’s ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy

e)      Prospects Peculiar to Central Asian Republics

•       Infrastructural development

•       Access to warm waters

•       Transit route to Africa and Southeast Asia

f)        Prospects Peculiar to India and Pakistan

•       Energy trade with Central Asian Republics

•       Better conflict management

•       Increased interdependence

5. Challenges Associated with Recent Expansion

a.       Political and Administrative Challenges

•       Conflicts among states

•       Unstable political setups

•       Lack of political cooperation

•       Security situation in Afghanistan

•       Terrorism and terrorist organizations

•       Foreign funding and threat of the ISIS

•       US influence over India and Pakistan

•       Pakistan and India’s poor record as SAARC member states

b.       Economic and Social Challenges

•       Lack of infrastructure

•       Underdevelopment prevailing in Pakistan and India

•       Rough terrain, hard to develop

•       Lack of funds

•       High dependence on foreign loans

6. Recommendations to Overcome the Challenges

•       Member states should increase political cooperation among them

•       SCO should play active role in conflict-resolution

•       Cooperation on ARTS platform should be enhanced

•       Comprehensive plan should be made against smuggling, drug trafficking, etc.

•       China and Russia should provide loans to other member states

•       Budget of SCO should be increased

•       SCO nations should cooperate in technology

•       Non-tariff trade barriers should be removed

7. Conclusion 

Higher Education in Pakistan Ills and remedies Essay

  

1. Introduction 2. Types of Education

•       Formal education

•       Informal education

3. An Overview of Higher Education Setup in Pakistan

•       Statutory position

•       Administrative system

•       Institutes

4. Ills Prevailing in Higher Education System of Pakistan

       A. Infrastructure-related Ills

•   Lack of institutes

•   Missing necessary facilities

•   Overcharging by private-sector institutions

B.  Human Resource-related Ills

•       Meagre strength of faculties

•       Lack of motivation in members of faculty

•       Lack of skills and expertise

•       Meagre strength of support staff

•       High dropout ratio at elementary level

C.  Curriculum-related Ills

•       Curriculum not in consonance with domestic needs

•       More focus on mere theories

•       Presence of mistakes and errors

•       Lack of analytical approach

•       Uninteresting and monotonous descriptions

•       No focus on character-building

D.  Teaching Methodology-related Ills

•       Promotion and encouragement of cramming

•       No focus on conceptual study

•       Monotonous style of teaching

E.   Examination-related Ills

•       No testing of analytical skills

•       Use of unfair means in examination halls

•       Inconsistent style of grading

5. Factors Responsible for the Presence of Ills

•       Budgetary constraints

•       Myopic vision of the policymakers

•       Distracted attention of the government

•       Bureaucratic hurdles

•       Poor growth of economy

•       Commercialization of education

•       Missing element of morality in the society

•       Persistently-rampant corruption

•       Incapacity of concerned HR departments

6. Impacts of Flawed Higher Education System

•   Unemployment and underemployment

•   Lack of talent and skills

•   Devastating impacts on different sectors of economy

•   Deteriorated image of the state

•   Social degradation

•   Increase in lawlessness and crime

7. Recommendations for the removal of Ills of the Higher Education Sector

•   Devising sharply-focused, meticulously-planned and thoroughly-integrated policies

•   Allocating reasonable budget to higher education

•   Tapping of indigenous mineral, geographical and human resources to enhance the availability of funds

•   Introduction of civil service reforms to improve the bureaucratic structure

•   Mature, responsible and objective role of media for the upgrade of moral standards of the society

•   Tightening the monitoring and regulatory mechanism to curb the commercialization of education

•   Devising pragmatic policies for maximum utilization of available resources

•   Focus on skills development of education- related human resource

•   Annual revision and upgrade of curriculum

•   Use of technology to improve the examination standards

•   Attracting best brains to education sector by improving perks

8. Conclusion