The Gems and Jewellery Center of Excellence (GJoC), UET Peshawar organized an awareness seminar titled, “Rising through the Rubble: Success Stories and Systemic Challenges in the Gemstone Sector of Pakistan”, aimed at highlighting the potential and systemic challenges in the gemstone sector.
Mr. Arshad Hussain, Secretary was the Chief Guest on the occasion. He underscored that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is richly endowed with precious gems and minerals however, due to a lack of awareness and absence of standardized practices, these valuable resources are often sold at nominal prices in international markets by local traders. He cited the example of Thailand which despite having no natural gem reserves has built a trillion-dollar gemstone economy through the use of technology, value addition and marketing strategies.
Prof. Dr. Sadiq Khattak, Vice Chancellor UET Peshawar in his welcome address, stated that in response to the growing demand in the gems and Jewellery sector, the university has announced six-month diploma program in Jewellery and Fashion Design in the upcoming session. He highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan alone possess an estimated $6 trillion worth of rare earth minerals, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships and standardized practices to harness the full potential of this untapped sector. He further informed that the university is currently engaged in consultations with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) through the National Productivity Organization (NPO) for the establishment of a state-of-the-art laboratory at the Gems and Jewellery Center of Excellence (GJoC) to support research, certification, and technological advancement in gemmology.
Mr. Yasir Ali Rasheed, Director NAVTTC said, two diploma courses, fully funded by NAVTTC are currently offered to 102 students in Gemmology and Lapidary at GJoC. He assured that four additional courses will be offered to GJOC in the upcoming session.
Prof. Dr. Nisar Muhammad, Director GJoC said the Center was established in 2006 with the support of USAID, has so far produced over 1100 graduates who are successfully contributing to the gemstone industry in Pakistan and internationally. Dr. Habibur Rehman, Professor Gemmology highlighted that the Center has received international recognition and is officially acknowledged by GEM-A Thailand. It is worth mentioning that a diploma course for professionals working in Gemmology was also fully sponsored by USAID earlier in 2009 in collaboration with UET’s Directorate of Media, marking a significant milestone in professional training in the gemstone sector. Renowned gemmologists and Alumni of GJoC including Mr. Amer Latif CEO Hadi Gems and Dr. Syed Owais Professor of Sociology also delivered talks during the technical sessions. Later, Prof. Dr. Sadiq Khattak presented shields to the guests in appreciation of their support to UET Peshawar.