The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has planned to promote industry-academia linkages to accelerate SME growth through entrepreneurship development among youth.In this regard, the SMEDA arranged a briefing session at its head office on Tuesday for a group of 25 students from the Shaheed Benzair Bhutto University (SBBU), Upper Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa wherein a presentation on SMEDA activities and its role in promoting entrepreneurship development in Pakistan was shared.

The SMEDA General Manager Policy and Planning, Mairaj Anees Arif highlighted the role of SMEs in economic development and said the universities play an important role in promoting entrepreneurship culture. Only two percent of management students opt entrepreneurship as a carrier option, which is lowest as compared with developed nations, he said. SMEDA, in this regard, provides services and facilitation to develop entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country. The students expressed their deep interest in initiating entrepreneurial activity after the completion of their education and requested SMEDA to provide facilitation in this regard, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016