Category: Islamabad

Islamabad: The state-of-the-art Facilitation Center of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has served 466,872 students and processed 66,617 applications by December 2024.

While the Call center has addressed 614,574 calls related to admissions, CMS, course materials, LMS, tutors, workshops, examinations, results, and degrees, with satisfactory responses recorded for all calls.

According to the official source, the Facilitation and Call Center were established by AIOU at its main campus in October 2022 to cater to the needs of its students, both nationwide and overseas. Keeping student convenience in mind, these centers were set up near Gate No. 2 of the university.

As soon as students enter the university through this gate, they find these centers just a few steps away. The facilitation center offers solutions to all educational problems under one roof, eliminating the need for students to visit different university departments.

Equipped with modern facilities, the center includes three counters for student advisory services, addressing issues related to workshops, tutors, CMS, LMS, admissions, examinations, NOCs, migration, applications for certificates and degrees, degree verification, corrections, and fee matters.

Bank services are also available for fee submissions. Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, with a seating capacity for 130 students at a time. Separate washrooms for males and females, free Wi-Fi, and printing services are also offered. Priority services are extended to differently-abled students, who are provided with wheelchairs as needed.

The facilitation center operates with a modern queuing system. Students generate a token from an electronic kiosk near the entrance and wait comfortably for their turn. Token numbers are displayed on screens and announced via microphone. This efficient system ensures minimal waiting time.

The center's overall operations are overseen by Director Student Affairs, Syed Ghulam Kazim Ali, and Facilitation Center Incharge, Atif Farooq Solangi-two highly dedicated officials who report daily to Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Nasir Mehmood.

The call center, with its 35 cabins, handles student inquiries over the phone. Students can call the university's helpline at 051-111-11-2468, where their queries are directed to the relevant operator.

Before the establishment of these centers, students faced significant delays in resolving their issues, often requiring multiple visits to various departments. This caused frustration, leading to false narratives about inefficiency and negative publicity for the university, which adversely impacted enrollments.

However, with the facilitation and call centers now operational, students' issues are resolved swiftly, enhancing their experience and satisfaction. Many students who previously criticized the system now praise it and promote the university in their communities, encouraging others to enroll.

Talking to reporter, AIOU's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Nasir Mehmood, emphasized that illuminating every household with the light of education and addressing students' needs is a top priority.

He stated, 'Students are our greatest asset, and they have the first claim on our resources. We spare no effort in ensuring their convenience.' His focus on educational quality has also resulted in notable achievements.

In the 2024 Impact Rankings by the globally respected Times Higher Education, AIOU ranked first among Pakistan's 89 universities and seventh among 2,175 universities from 125 countries for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education.

With over 1.1 million students enrolled, AIOU is Pakistan's largest university, boasting more students than the combined total of all other universities in the country.

Managing such a vast number of students, addressing their issues, and fulfilling their needs is no small feat. However, persistence and determination make the impossible achievable. Following its mission, the university has reached new milestones.

Islamabad: The Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) in the country witnessed a negative growth of 1.25 percent during the first five months of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

The LSM also dipped by 3.81 percent on year-on-year basis (YoY) in November 2024 when compared to the same month of last year and 1.19 percent on month-on-month (MoM) basis when compared to October 2024.

The provisional quantum induces of Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) for November 2024, with the base year 2015-16, have been developed based on the latest data supplied by the source agencies.

The main contributors towards overall growth of -1.25% are, Food (0.23), Tobacco (0.39), Textile (0.40) Garments (1.76), Petroleum Products (-0.18), Automobiles (0.78), Cement (-0.61), Iron and Steel Products (-0.62), Electrical Equipment (-0.64), Machinery and Equipment (-0.25) and Furniture (-2.24).

The production in July-November 2024-25 as compared to July-November 2023-24 has increased in Food, Tobacco, Textile, wearing apparel, Automobiles and Other Transport Equipment while it decreased in Coke and Petroleum Products, Chemical Products, Non-Metallic Mineral Products, Iron and Steel Products, Electrical Equipment, Machinery and Equipment, and Furniture

Islamabad: The state-of-the-art Facilitation Center of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has served 466,872 students and processed 66,617 applications by December 2024.

While the Call center has addressed 614,574 calls related to admissions, CMS, course materials, LMS, tutors, workshops, examinations, results, and degrees, with satisfactory responses recorded for all calls.

According to the official source, the Facilitation and Call Center were established by AIOU at its main campus in October 2022 to cater to the needs of its students, both nationwide and overseas. Keeping student convenience in mind, these centers were set up near Gate No. 2 of the university.

As soon as students enter the university through this gate, they find these centers just a few steps away. The facilitation center offers solutions to all educational problems under one roof, eliminating the need for students to visit different university departments.

Equipped with modern facilities, the center includes three counters for student advisory services, addressing issues related to workshops, tutors, CMS, LMS, admissions, examinations, NOCs, migration, applications for certificates and degrees, degree verification, corrections, and fee matters.

Bank services are also available for fee submissions. Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, with a seating capacity for 130 students at a time. Separate washrooms for males and females, free Wi-Fi, and printing services are also offered. Priority services are extended to differently-abled students, who are provided with wheelchairs as needed.

The facilitation center operates with a modern queuing system. Students generate a token from an electronic kiosk near the entrance and wait comfortably for their turn. Token numbers are displayed on screens and announced via microphone. This efficient system ensures minimal waiting time.

The center's overall operations are overseen by Director Student Affairs, Syed Ghulam Kazim Ali, and Facilitation Center Incharge, Atif Farooq Solangi-two highly dedicated officials who report daily to Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Nasir Mehmood.

The call center, with its 35 cabins, handles student inquiries over the phone. Students can call the university's helpline at 051-111-11-2468, where their queries are directed to the relevant operator.

Before the establishment of these centers, students faced significant delays in resolving their issues, often requiring multiple visits to various departments. This caused frustration, leading to false narratives about inefficiency and negative publicity for the university, which adversely impacted enrollments.

However, with the facilitation and call centers now operational, students' issues are resolved swiftly, enhancing their experience and satisfaction. Many students who previously criticized the system now praise it and promote the university in their communities, encouraging others to enroll.

Talking to reporter, AIOU's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Nasir Mehmood, emphasized that illuminating every household with the light of education and addressing students' needs is a top priority.

He stated, 'Students are our greatest asset, and they have the first claim on our resources. We spare no effort in ensuring their convenience.' His focus on educational quality has also resulted in notable achievements.

In the 2024 Impact Rankings by the globally respected Times Higher Education, AIOU ranked first among Pakistan's 89 universities and seventh among 2,175 universities from 125 countries for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education.

With over 1.1 million students enrolled, AIOU is Pakistan's largest university, boasting more students than the combined total of all other universities in the country.

Managing such a vast number of students, addressing their issues, and fulfilling their needs is no small feat. However, persistence and determination make the impossible achievable. Following its mission, the university has reached new milestones.

Islamabad: Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, informed the National Assembly on Friday that Pakistan's ICT services export remittances recorded a 28% increase, reaching approximately $1.86 billion during the first six months of the current financial year.

During the question hour, she attributed this growth to improved internet usage and speed in the country.

However, she acknowledged that internet users are facing challenges, emphasizing that efforts are underway to address these issues.

'At present, WhatsApp is fully functional, and all VPNs are operational,' she said.

The minister highlighted that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) operates a 24/7 service center to register complaints, assuring that technicians are dispatched promptly to resolve issues. 'My primary duty is to protect and promote the IT industry,' she added.

The minister said that Pakistan's current internet bandwidth operates at 274 MHz, which limits accessibility. The government plans to add 562 MHz, recently vacated through court proceedings.

She appreciated the efforts of the Law Ministry and Special Investment Facilitation (SIFC) for working to resolve these legal hurdles.

She also shared that Pakistan has eight submarine cables, one of which has reached the end of its lifespan. She announced that the world's largest submarine cable has now arrived in Pakistan, expressing optimism that it will help address connectivity problems.

She further mentioned that the Pakistan-China optic fiber cable is currently operational.

Highlighting the government's achievements, the minister pointed to foreign direct investment in the IT and telecom sectors.

She also emphasized the importance of VPN registration for the freelancing and IT industry. 'PTA has made VPN registration free of cost, and to date, over 31,000 IPs have been registered,' she said.

Islamabad: British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms. Jane Marriott paid a visit to the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) with an aim to strengthen collaboration between the leading higher education institutions in UK and NUST.

Rector NUST, Dr. Muhammad Zahid Latif greeted the British High Commissioner upon her arrival at the NUST main office.

During the meeting, the two sides expressed their commitment to strengthening collaboration between NUST and the leading higher education and research institutions across UK.

They particularly examined potential partnerships to enhance knowledge-sharing and drive impactful advancements in various fields.

Earlier, the High Commissioner, along with other members of the delegation, visited the National Science and Technology Park (NSTP) at NUST, and interacted with several startups, including LearnObots, Orbit-Ed and Vyro.

She expressed her admiration for the innovation-driven startups making meaningful contributions to sectors such as edu tech, smart tech, energy tech, etc.

Later, the delegates visited NUST School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences (SINES), which houses 10 international laboratories.

They also visited the Centre for Emerging Technologies (CEMTECH) at NUST, wherein the briefing highlighted the center's leading work in AI, Chip Design etc.

Overall, the visit provided delegates with an opportunity to learn about the university's cutting-edge research capabilities and its emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration across various scientific fields.

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs), which approved business plans for the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV).

'The plans are aimed at addressing key operational challenges and outlining roadmaps for sustainable development, including organizational growth, financial sustainability and improved services. These were prepared in compliance with the directions of the CCoSOEs and the format prescribed by the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) of the Finance Division,' a news release said.

The business plan submitted in respect of PBC mainly focused on a number of measures aimed at ensuring income generation through improved program content, better signal quality, utilization of seven large unutilized concrete spaces and six large tracts of open lands located in different cities as well as installation of ATM booths and advertising billboards at appropriate sites of the Radio Pakistan.

The committee was told that the PBC would be able to achieve a break-even in two years after the execution of the proposed business plan.

For the PTV, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted a business plan featuring measures and interventions targeting digital expansion, content licensing, profitable marketing partnerships, public-private partnerships, and utilization of PTV properties for maximizing operational efficiency and overall revenue potential.

The committee was apprised that out of 5,442 sanctioned posts of PTV, around 1,232 posts had also been abolished to save costs.

The CCoSOEs deliberated on both plans and approved them, emphasizing the importance of achieving operational excellence and the need for timely implementation of planned actions to achieve desired results.

The committee also advised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to work through administrative boards of both

PBC and PTV to proactively make use of their unutilized spaces, assets and open lands, preferably selling them to private sector instead of engaging in a real estate activity at the cost of their core functions as state broadcasters.

The committee deliberated on the reconstitution of the Board of Directors of Karachi Tools, Dies, and Mould Centre (KTDMC) under the Ministry of Industries and Production.

It approved the appointment of five principal candidates from the private sector, along with ex-officio directors, for a term of three years.

Abdur Razaaq Gauhar was appointed as the Chairman of the Board. This reconstitution aims to improve corporate governance and ensure effective decision-making for the entity.

The reconstitution of the Board of Directors of the Technology Upgradation and Skills Development Company (TUSDEC) was also approved.

The committee appointed six principal candidates from the private sector, along with ex-officio directors, for a term of three years.

Muhammad Noor ud Din Daud was selected as the Chairman of the Board. This reconstitution aligns with the SOEs Ownership and Management Policy, 2023, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency and aligning the company's goals with national priorities.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Minister for Maritime Affairs; Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Housing and Works; Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Economic Affairs; Federal Secretaries; and senior officers from relevant ministries and divisions.