Day: October 1, 2022

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HEC Chairman, SU VC underscore Skill-Based Education for Economic Growth

Islamabad, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):Imparting skill-based knowledge to students will better help in accelerating the process of development and economic growth, this was the crux of a meeting held between Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmad and Vice-Chancellor University of Sargodha (UoS), Prof Dr Qaisar Abbas here on Thursday. According to details, UoS VC Dr Qaisar Abbas called on the HEC chairman to discuss the issues and challenges related to higher education.

During the meeting, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad stated: “Education, skills, and technical training are at the heart of economic growth that is sustainable, inclusive, and adds value. Both the latent and active workforces need to be built up for future investment and self-employment.” He added that management training programmes and business incubators can help a lot in this regard.

Dr Mukhtar further expressed that effective industry participation is one of the most important parts of the skill development system that is missing in Pakistan. He said this makes it harder for graduates to get skills that employers want, leading to making businesses less competitive.

There is a dire need for focusing on training as an investment to produce technically equipped students who could better compete in the market, said Dr Qaisar Abbas, adding that an unequivocal and clearly articulated national agenda for skills development should be introduced as a policy at higher education institutions.

The UoS VC stated that linkage between industry and academia is essential for transforming the higher education sector, enabling it to compete on global level. By strengthening ties between academia and industry, Pakistan can also achieve economic prosperity, he stressed. Moreover, he said, “We must focus on human resource development and equip our youth with the skills necessary to fully explore domestic and international markets.”

The HEC chairman praised the VC for his work to educate people from underprivileged groups and told him to focus on the quality of education if he wants to make real changes in society. Dr Qaisar Abbas also invited the HEC chairman to the upcoming event of 20 years celebrations of academic excellence, research productivity, knowledge sharing and global outlook.

For more information, contact:
University of Sargodha
University Road, Sargodha, Pakistan
Tel: +92-48-9230811-15
Email: info@uos.edu.pk
Website: https://uos.edu.pk

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Industry visit to Bargad Society of Human Resources for Youth Development 

Lahore, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):The department of English organized an industrial visit of students of the Faculty of Languages and Literature (FOLL) to the Bargad Society of Human Resources for Youth Development in the use of the English Language. Sir Nohaiz Mehmood-FILO organized this informative industry visit along with Ms. Fatimah Urooj, Mr. Umair Yaseen (Lecturer), and Ms. Nosheen Asghar (Lecturer). They were greeted by the Executive Director of Bargad Miss Sabiha Shaheen, Program Advisor for Youth Development Policy, Sir Iqbal Haider Butt, and Project Coordinator for Youth Development, Sir Usman Younas.

Sir Usman started the presentation by giving a comprehensive overview of the vision of Bargad and how it has been successfully implemented. Bargad is a youth organization established in 1997 by a group of students from the University of Punjab. It was founded to promote peace, justice, and cooperation among the youth of Pakistan. Bargad has been closely working with the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan for effective policy-making for the child. It’s worth mentioning that Bargad technically assisted the Ministry of Youth Affairs in forming Youth Policies in Pakistan.

After this informative presentation, Sir Iqbal Haider and Miss Sabiha Shaheen shared practical techniques to grasp effective communication skills for social platforms, report writing, and the latest trends in research areas in linguistics. In the end, Mr. Nohaiz Mehmood thanked BARGAD for providing a fruitful seminar and briefing us about their efforts and accomplishments. Mr. Mehmood also discussed ‘Internships leading to jobs’ for the students of the English Department.

For more information, contact:
University of Central Punjab (UCP)
Khayaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: +92-42-35880007
Fax: +92-42-35954892
Email: info@ucp.edu.pk
Website: https://www.ucp.edu.pk/

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Posthuman Studies: The Journey from Humanism to Posthumanism 

Lahore, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):FLL organized an international symposium on “Posthuman Studies: The Journey from Humanism to Posthumanism” on the 27th of September, 2022. In the recent decade, Posthuman studies have gained a great deal of attention on the national and well as the international level. The symposium pondered on the big question about “where humanities lie in the neo-normal post-modern world”. The guest speakers were invited not only from Pakistan but across the borders.

Event’s Title: Posthuman Studies: The Journey from Humanism to Posthumanism.

Contents Included:

Post Humanism – A general thought

Post Humanism and Humanism

Post Humanism in Post Modern Era

The future of Humanity in Post Human World

Prospects of Research on Post Humanism

Learning Outcomes:

The participants were able to:

Develop understanding regarding posthumanism through opening address at the symposium.

Understand the significance of Post Humanism in modern world through.

Acquire ideas for quality research concerning Post Human studies in Pakistan.

Organizers of the Event: Areeba Tayyab, Kashifa Khalid, Syeda Saba Zahra, Ayesha Khan, Rana Nohaiz Mehmood, Tayyaba Bint E Mehmood, Fatima Urooj, Muhammad Tayyab

Venue: Webinar Hall, C Building, UCP

Date: 27th September, 2022

Timings: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Attendees: Faculty members and students from Faculty of Languages and Literature (FLL)

No. of Attendees: Around 100

For more information, contact:
University of Central Punjab (UCP)
Khayaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: +92-42-35880007
Fax: +92-42-35954892
Email: info@ucp.edu.pk
Website: https://www.ucp.edu.pk/

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IBA-CED organized a seminar on E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship in Pakistan – Opportunities and Challenges

Karachi, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), IBA in collaboration with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), held a seminar on Best of Entrepreneurship in Pakistan on the theme of ‘E-Commerce and Entrepreneurship in Pakistan- Opportunities and Challenges’. Around 300 students and faculty members from different universities of Pakistan and freelancing disciplines attended this seminar.

The opening session was graced by Ms. Alia Jafar, Director International Relations, ICCIA. Notable guest speakers and entrepreneurs were invited to talk about their startup journey. The speakers included leading Pakistani entrepreneurs, Mr. Sheikh Sultan Rahman Coordinator and former Vice President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce (FPCCI) and Industry; Mr. Hamza Abdul Rauf, Co-Founder and Director, Telemart; Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram, Co-Founder and CEO, Sehat Kahani; and Mr. Arif Lakhani Co-Founder, Qist Bazaar.

Mr. Rahman stressed the need for entrepreneurs in the economy and the growing e-commerce society in Pakistan. Mr. Rauf shared his rich experience of his journey of finding a startup during his sophomore year at IBA, to overseeing its development as one of Pakistan’s biggest E-commerce startups.

Dr. Khurram shared her inspiring journey as a female entrepreneur, who founded Sehat Kahani in 2017, after years of social work in low-income areas and connecting patients with doctors throughout Pakistan online. Since its inception, Sehat Kahani has catered to 1.3 million patients and the number is expected to rise even more in the following years. Mr. Lakhani then narrated his experience of founding Qist Kahani, a platform that allows people from low-income backgrounds to buy contemporary necessities such as laptops and mobile phones in installments. His venture has already delivered to 11,000 customers in the past eleven months.

Mr. Azad Ahmed, Acting Head, CED, emphasized the need for inclusivity in the entrepreneur ecosystem, announcing IBA CED’s Weekend Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Women Entrepreneurship Program. The role of IBA-CED incubation centers in facilitating the startups was highlighted and the session was then followed by an enriching Q and A session.

The session was concluded with a vote of thanks from Mr. Abdul Badih El Dada, Director of Events Management ICCIA, who discussed the vast amount of e-commerce forums, each having its own advantages. He emphasized the benefits of utilizing this market.

For more information, contact:
Executive, Communication and Public Affairs,
Institute of Business Administration Karachi (IBA)
Main Campus: University Road, Karachi – 75270, Pakistan
UAN: +92-21-111-422-422 (Ext. 269)
Fax: +92-21-99261508
Email: raza.lakhani@khi.iba.edu.pk
Website: https://www.iba.edu.pk

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The Living Scripts: Mirza Hamid Hassan (Former Federal Secretary, Water and Power) 

Islamabad, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):The 29th session of IPS’ oral history project ‘The Living Scripts’ was held with Mirza Hamid Hassan in three sittings on March 4, May 27, and September 27, 2022. Mirza Hamid is a former civil servant who has served in the Ministry of Water and Power, Ministry of Finance, Interior Ministry, Establishment Division, Economic Affairs Division, Cabinet Secretariat, and Statistics Division.

Sharing the details of his early education, he said that having been born in British India, he studied in India up till 1954 when his parents migrated to Pakistan and settled in Peshawar. He received his secondary and higher secondary education from Peshawar and graduated in Mining Engineering from Lahore.

Soon after his graduation, he joined WAPDA and started preparing for the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam. After three years, he appeared in the exam and was selected for Audit and Accounts Service. He then joined the Finance Services Academy and completed training in 1970. He completed his military attachment and departmental training in audit offices in Lahore by 1971, following which he was posted in Peshawar to serve as assistant comptroller in January 1972.

In 1977, he served in the Embassy of Pakistan in London as director audit and accounts where he got a chance to serve with four ambassadors. Afterwards, he served in the administration department of the Auditor General Office and Accountant General Office in Punjab. While apprising the audience about his services, he mentioned that he also got a chance to work in the Ministry of Finance, after which he was selected to serve in the Establishment Division as joint secretary in Rawalpindi in 1985.

In the same year, he joined the University of Pittsburg for an Advanced Management Training Course, designed specifically for officials of developing countries. In 1988, he was posted in Economic Affairs Division. He served in different wings of EAD during his course of duty there, including the economic coordination wing and banks’ wing. He served as joint secretary economic coordination in EAD where he had to deal with foreign nations, international organizations, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and other institutions.

He recalled attending the board of governors’ meeting of the IDB in Morocco. However, there was no effective decision-making for the benefit of the ummah, which the IDB represents. He then served in the banks’ wing at EAD, where he had to deal with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other international institutions.

In 1994, he was posted to Capital Development Authority (CDA) in administration where he was in charge of ten directorates. In 1996, he joined the Interior Ministry as joint secretary for one year, after which, in 1997, he joined the Establishment Division as additional secretary.

In August 2000, he was promoted to federal secretary in Statistics Division; and in May 2001, he joined the Ministry of Water and Power as federal secretary, which was also his last posting before retirement. After retirement, he worked as a consultant with various international organizations.

While sharing his experiences, Mirza Hamid pointed out corruption to be one of the menaces in society that need to be eliminated as soon as possible. He further said that employees should have enough courage to speak up against corruption and dishonesty. He also pointed out the importance of English for communication, representation, and diplomatic interaction at the international level and highlighted the need for personnel training courses by field practitioners, consultants, and professionals of different areas of study for a diversified perspective in practice.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

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MoU with Swsam Solutions

Lahore, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):To develop academic-industrial linkage in order to enhance human resources and to remain state-of-the-art in the field of machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Central Punjab (UCP), and Swsam Solutions have agreed that they support their mutual interest in the field of education and research. The critical points of MoU are:

Swsam Solutions will provide internship and job placement opportunities to students from the Department of Electrical Engineering, UCP, in their Lahore office.

Swsam Solutions will get involved in the final year project activities.

Department of Electrical Engineering, UCP will invite a member from Swsam Solutions to be part of the Industrial Advisory Board.

Dr Muhammad Saadi will serve as a consultant to Swsam Solutions on technology.

Facilitate invited talks/guest speakers.

Any other area of mutual interest.

For more information, contact:
University of Central Punjab (UCP)
Khayaban-e-Jinnah Road, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: +92-42-35880007
Fax: +92-42-35954892
Email: info@ucp.edu.pk
Website: https://www.ucp.edu.pk/