Affiliations: [a] School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, P.R. China | [b] Department of Rural Sociology, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan
| [c] Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan
| [d] Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Liaqat Ali, School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, P.R. China. Tel.: +86 13234950151; E-mail: liaqatali@hit.edu.cn; alisocio8@yahoo.com.
Abstract: Efficient and safe transport by air, rail, road and sea plays a major role in countries’ economic and societal self-development. Transport’s role is pivotal in entire regions’ collegial prosperity and socio-economic capabilities. This case study investigates the perceived influence of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), on the Pakistani educational sector. Data were collected from 505 questionnaire respondents, residing in the Hazara Division, of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, in Northern Pakistan. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) are used to analyze the empirical data. The study’s results show that CPEC’s perceived accessibility and employment opportunities might have significantly positive effects on educating the host communities. Besides, people’s increased remuneration can undoubtedly mediate the effect of accessibility and employment on their education. Those collegially responsible for CPEC can benefit from these results, particularly in their formulating educational development plans and coping with unforeseen issues. The article also provides useful guidelines for CPEC practitioners and researchers.
Keywords: Accessibility, CPEC, education, employment, road, transport
