Turkey and Pakistan have strong and growing ties in education, with further collaboration needed to expand opportunities for students, youth and skills development, Turkish Consul General Mehmet Eymen Semsek said at the Education and Skills Summit 2026 held at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
Addressing the summit, Semsek said the Turkish Consulate was ready to facilitate greater cooperation between the two countries and help identify new avenues of collaboration in education and related fields. He noted that numerous delegations had travelled between Pakistan and Turkey over the past year, reflecting the close relationship between the two countries.
The Turkish diplomat highlighted Pakistan’s large and youthful population, describing its young people as both a major demand and supply opportunity for the education sector. He also appreciated initiatives aimed at strengthening education and skills development in Pakistan, while saying that he preferred learning from experts rather than presenting himself as an authority on technical education.
Director General PEMRA Ayesha Manzoor Wattoo said education and skills development were not solely the responsibility of educational institutions, stressing that the media also played a significant role in shaping the thinking, aspirations and career choices of young people.
She said PEMRA’s role extended beyond regulation to public education, awareness and addressing complaints related to electronic media. Wattoo identified the gap between academic qualifications and employment opportunities as one of Pakistan’s major challenges, noting that thousands of young people hold degrees but continue to struggle to find suitable jobs.
She stressed the need for an education system aligned with the actual requirements of employers and the economy. She also called for continuous upskilling among media professionals in areas including journalism, digital production, fact-checking, data skills, cyber hygiene and the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence.
Speaking about media responsibility, Wattoo said freedom of expression was an important constitutional principle, but responsible broadcasting was equally essential for maintaining a healthy public discourse. She urged young people to verify information before sharing it.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol said education was fundamental to transforming society and called for education, character building and skills development to be pursued together. He observed that Pakistan’s economic performance remained behind several regional countries that had embarked on their development journeys around the same time but had since moved significantly ahead.
The Education and Skills Summit 2026 brought together representatives from education, government, media and the private sector to discuss the challenges facing Pakistan’s education and skills ecosystem and explore ways to better connect learning with employment, economic growth and the country’s rapidly changing workforce needs.
Related: National Curriculum Summit 2026 for Future-Ready Education
The summit was also attended by DG PEMRA Ayesha Manzoor Wattoo, University of South Asia Vice Chancellor Imran Masood, Malala Fund Pakistan Country Head Nishat Riaz, Founding Chairman PHEC Dr Nizam Ud Din and UMT Co-Founder Abid Sherwani.
