By Our Correspondent
KARACHI: The University of Karachi (KU) and the Youth Development, Education and Sports Society (YESS) signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday aimed at promoting sports-related learning, practical training, and institutional collaboration for students.
The agreement was signed between KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi and YESS Vice President Muhammad Hanif Malik at the Vice Chancellor Secretariat. Officials said the partnership would focus on youth development, sports sciences, leadership training and practical exposure for students.
Under the MoU, the KU Department of Public Administration and YESS will work together to create opportunities for experiential learning, internships and training programmes in sports management and related fields. The collaboration also includes the establishment and operation of sports training activities, including cricket coaching, fitness sessions, workshops and seminars.
Students will be engaged as trainees, interns, volunteers, coordinators, researchers and program assistants under the initiative. The agreement also outlines joint work on research projects, academic conferences, seminars, policy discussions and publications related to sports sciences and youth development.
Officials said the partnership aims to strengthen leadership, management and organisational skills among students, while making better use of available institutional facilities for educational and sports development purposes.
Speaking on the occasion, YESS Vice President Muhammad Hanif Malik said there was a significant gap in professional sports management training in Pakistan, adding that international staff are often hired for local events due to a shortage of trained local professionals. He expressed hope that the initiative would help develop domestic talent capable of managing sports events independently.
Former cricketer Romaan Raees said young people in Pakistan were highly talented but often faced challenges due to a lack of communication skills, adding that the programme could help address this gap.
KU Director Evening Programme Professor Dr Shahbib Ul Hassan said the purpose of the agreement was to prepare students for professional roles in the future so they could perform with competence and dedication.
Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said sports had evolved into a professional industry that required skilled experts for effective management and development. He said initiatives like this were essential for producing trained professionals in the field.
The signing ceremony was attended by deans, faculty members, Chairperson of the Department of Public Administration, representatives from KU’s Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC), as well as YESS Executive Member Romaan Raees and Executive Member Outreach and Social Inclusion Tayyaba Arif.
