Role of Islamic System of Education in Moral Behavior and Spiritual Identity of Muslims

Humans have always had the curiosity to know themselves, to know the world around them, and to know their place in the world. Morality, spirituality and religion are closely intertwined, ‘certain moral ideas became united with certain religious and spiritual ideas to such an extent as to become indistinct from them’. The role of religion in educational institutions is one of the most sensitive and volatile topics on the political and legal landscape now a days especially in country like Pakistan which has been created on religious ideology. The Islamic Way of Life is based on this unique approach to life and a peculiar concept of man's place in the Universe. Islam has provided mankind with the highest possible standard of morality. This moral code, which is both straightforward and practical, provides the individual with innumerable ways to embark upon and then continues the path of moral evolution. By making divine revelation the primary source of knowledge, moral standards are made permanent and stable. The first part of the paper is about the relationship between education and its role as spiritual and moral tool of training. Second part deals with the concept of education in Islam and third part will present types of knowledge in Islam and their application as moral and spiritual tool of education. Last part will give moral and spiritual training methodology in Islamic education. The relationships between ‘moral’, ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious’ seem to be akin to the relationships between the cluster ‘social’, ‘human’ and ‘political’. In each of these clusters, only beings of the kind appropriately described by the middle term can engage in activities which could be properly described by the first and third terms. Islam as religion of spirituality and morality gives a frame work to educate and train the students in modeling their life as more moral and spiritual with practical application in this life and success in the hereafter. The chief characteristic of the Islamic Concept of Life is that it does not admit a conflict, nay, not even a significant separation between life-spiritual and life-mundane. It does not confine itself merely in purifying the spiritual and the moral life of man in the limited sense of the word. Its domain extends to the entire gamut of life. It wants to would individual life as well as the social order in healthy patterns, so that the Kingdom of God may really be established on the earth and so that peace contentment and well-being may fill the world as water f ills the oceans.  

Developing an Organizational Model for the Management of University - Industry Linkage in Pakistan

The purpose of the study was developing an Organizational Model for the Management of University — Industry Linkage in Pakistan. The objectives of the study were to (i) examine the existing situation of University Industry Linkage in Pakistan (ii) investigate factors responsible for the development of University Industry Linkage (iii) identify the strengths and weakness. (iv) develop an organizational model for the management of University Industry Linkage in Pakistan. A sample of 33 (male 23 and female 10) consisted of Deans and Heads of departments of the universities and representative of Higher Education Commission was taken. It was found that universities and industries have linkages through liaison offices in Higher Education Commission which included R & D activities, training, visiting lectureship and joint efforts for curriculum development and consultancy services. Centralized coordination at national level was found hence, international cooperation was not found among these institutions in Pakistan. The linkages mechanisms include personal contacts, meetings, consultancy services, collaborative training programs, R&D activities, committees, seminars and conferences. These linkages are affected by many factors such as government policy, management of the university as well as industry, lack of coordination, communication gap, shortage of funds for research, lack of interest of faculty members, lack of R&D activities, lack of required professional, inconsistent investment of industries. The possible areas of cooperation included protection of intellectual property, grants, donations, scholarship, seminars/workshops, career counseling, joint R&D Projects and consultancy services. On the basis of these empirical evidences model for establishing linkages among universities and industries was developed.