Engineering Post brings exclusive insights from PVACR society President Mr. Raman Shareef
The 29th PHVACR Expo held in Lahore has not only been a remarkable success but has also served as a beacon of hope for the HVACR industry amidst challenging economic conditions. Despite prevailing economic challenges, the expo witnessed a significant turnout of participants, demonstrating the industry’s resilience and unwavering spirit. Mr. Ramzan Shareef, President of the Pakistan HVACR Society, while speaking to Engineering Post commended the local chapters for organising such a successful expo, “The Lahore chapter needs to be appreciated for its commendable efforts in organizing a seamless event. The expo’s popularity underscores its pivotal role as a platform for fostering innovation, facilitating networking opportunities, and driving business growth. With Punjab boasting a robust market size, the HVACR expo has historically attracted professionals and enthusiasts eager to explore the latest trends and technologies in the HVACR sector but this year has broken all previous records,” he said
As the president of the society, Mr. Shareef is not just concerned with the annual events but has a broader vision regarding things. First and foremost, he envisions a future where industry-academia collaboration thrives, leading to enhanced skill development and career opportunities for students. To this end, the society has initiated internship programs aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and practical industry experience. “We have more than 15-20 businesses who are willing to offer internships, the internship program is poised to expand, offering invaluable exposure to aspiring professionals. We are also working to get stipend approved for these internees from PEC,” he said. The society acts as a platform where students willing to do internships are registered as well as businesses willing to offer them. “Students can enrol for internships by visiting the society’s website www.hvacr.org.pk,” he added.
Furthermore, the society is committed to promoting local manufacturers by organizing a dedicated expo in Islamabad, exclusively showcasing products made in Pakistan. This initiative not only amplifies the visibility of local manufacturers but also fosters a sense of national pride and economic empowerment. While explaining the need for a separate expo Mr. Ramzan Shareef President PHVACR society divulged that in conventional expos all local and international players including importers/ exporters are invited/ these big players become the highlight of the expo and tend to overshadow the small local manufacturers who in turn do not get enough attention. That is why the PHVACR society has decided to arrange an exhibition specifically for the local manufacturers. “Only companies with a manufacturing setup will be invited, not ones with assembly plants, so they can be highlighted to potential buyers. Moreover the expo is being held at Islamabad. The reason for that location is that all the related government departments will be invited to attend the expo and see the quality and diversity of products being manufactured local,” he explained.n
One of the most common problems is that although there are many types of products available from local manufacturers, usually the small businesses do not have enough budget to advertise their products and the customer never ends up even knowing that the product was available locally in the first place. The PHVACR society has taken this responsibility upon themselves to develop a trade directory specifically with this information. The proposed directory will not only have technical information regarding the product but will also have the names and numbers of local manufacturers producing the product locally so that in case of a query the potential customer can contact the manufacturer directly. While speaking on this Mr. Ramzan Shareef said “We are developing a comprehensive trade directory which will have all the information of products being made in Pakistan and all the companies manufacturing them. Once all the information has been collected, we will first develop a soft copy and eventually print it into a hard copy. Soft copy of the directory will be available on the PHVACR society website while hard copies will be distributed at future expos connecting customers with local manufacturers,” he revealed
Modernizing its digital presence, the PHVACR Society is revamping its website to create an interactive hub for industry stakeholders. The website will serve as a repository of member data and facilitate seamless access to programs such as the internship initiative.
Moreover, under the leadership of the current President Mr. Ramzan Sahreef the society aims to cultivate a culture of research and innovation by providing platforms for students to present their research papers and encourage research. “We have a very comprehensive plan regarding the promotion of research material in the country,” While explaining the idea he revealed that all the local chapters of the society will be encouraged to conduct sessions inviting students from their area to present their research papers. The best research papers from those will be selected and later a national level event will be organised were the best papers from those will be presented, “We will revamp the society’s journal to facilitate technical research papers more and the best research papers from students will be published in our journal. This will not only encourage the students to move towards research but will also help disseminate knowledge bridging gap between Industry and academia,” he said
In addition to promoting academic endeavours, the society is actively addressing industry-specific challenges through real-time studies and documentation. “We are planning to start Realtime studies where students will be given to opportunity to be present in industries as whenever a problem arises it will be live documented and later worked upon so it can be avoided in the future,” explained Mr Ramzan Shareef By identifying and mitigating challenges, the society aims to drive continuous improvement and foster a conducive environment for industry growth. During the conversation he revealed that plans are also underway to develop training modules and establish learning canters within the society’s offices, equipping individuals with essential skills in areas such as IT tools used in the HVACR industry to benefit the students.
The clarity in vison for the future of the society shown by the current president Mr. Ramzan Shareef is very rare and must be appreciated. As the president of the Pakistan HVACR Society, Mr. Ramzan Shareef envisions a future where the gap between industry and academia is bridged effectively. To achieve this goal, the society has initiated several impactful training programs and workshops aimed at fostering collaboration and nurturing talent within the HVACR industry. “The PHVACR society in its own capacity arranges Technical seminar for the students as well as professionals working in the field of HVACR. Students are encouraged to attend these sessions to inculcate knowledge as well as kindle interest in the future professionals regarding the HVACR industry,” said Mr. Ramzan Sahreef. Under the leadership of Mr. Ramzan Shareef, the Pakistan HVACR Society is embarking on a transformative journey aimed at revolutionizing the industry. With the new leadership the society is truly moving towards a paradigm shift which will transform the future of the PHVACR society as well as the industry and academia involved with it. Through strategic initiatives focused on education, collaboration, and innovation, the society is poised to shape the future of HVACR in Pakistan and beyond.
