PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) and National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad here on Thursday signed an agreement to encourage University-Industry collaboration.
The Director Administration and Finance and Manager Digital Transformation Cell visited the University on the directions of Director General KPCTA.
Under the agreement, the KPCTA and NUST will collaborate on various cultural and tourism promotional activities, research and training initiatives in the fields of culture, hospitality and tourism.
The provincial government is firmly devoted to the promotion of culture and tourism as an established industry within their jurisdiction.
To accomplish this, they aim to create connections between academia and industry, reduce any gaps in the industry, provide opportunities for exposure to new talent, and ultimately increase employment prospects.
Director of Administration and Finance KPCTA, Khurshid Alam emphasized the Authority’s commitment to promote tourism in the province and outlined the ongoing efforts, including the Integrated Tourism Zones project, the launch of a tourism police force and a 24/7 helpline to support tourists.
Director Khurshid Alam applauded NUST’s efforts in technology, digitalization and tourism research and expressed confidence that the partnership would yield tangible benefits.
The documents were duly endorsed with the signatures of Associate Dean (SEECS) Dr. Dr Faisal Shafait along with Head of the Department Research (NBS) Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sabir and the Director CTA Khurshid Alam.
The event was graced by the presence of senior faculty member Dr. Hassan Ali Khattak, Associate Professor of the Computer Science department at NUST.
Senior academic staff present on the occasion, highlighted the potential for research cooperation and offered their full support by delivering technology-based solutions with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and culture.