Category: Education

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Beaconhouse, the country’s largest network of private educational institutions, hosted an exclusive Ladies’ Luncheon to honour its dedicated women employees that have served the institution for more than 20 years. The event was held at the Ambiance Hotel in Lahore, and was hosted by Beaconhouse’s Founder and Chairperson, Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri. Beaconhouse’s senior executives and veteran employees along with a number of key women from the media were also present at the event to celebrate women and the innumerable services and roles they offer with dedication across all industries.

Addressing the audience at the event, Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri stated, “Beaconhouse holds a legacy of over 46 years, and for all these decades it has remained determined to empower women with avenues for professional development and the provision of safe and progressive economic opportunities. Currently we have over 9,500 women employees, making up to about 80% of our total workforce. We are proud of being cultivators of a women-driven work environment.

I congratulate all of you for continuing to be a valuable part of our institution and society.” Beaconhouse Group currently employs more than 15,000 people, out of which 450 women have been affiliated with the organisation for over 20 years. In addition to this, as part of the employee benefits policy, over 5,600 children of these ambitious women employed at Beaconhouse receive education from the BSS network nationwide – availing fee concessions across all campuses.

The Beaconhouse Group has played a pioneering role in bringing economic growth and representation to women and is one of the largest employers for women in the country. The organisation was established in 1975 and has been showcasing educational expertise ever since, with a current student strength of over 315,000 across Pakistan.

Microsoft Signs Education transformation agreement with Sindh Government for digitalization of education system

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Microsoft signs an Educational Transformation agreement (ETA), agreement with two major departments of the Government of Sindh, The School Education and Literacy Department (SELD) & Sindh Education Foundation (SEF). The agreement is based on Microsoft Educational Transformation Framework (ETF) under which Microsoft is committed to make digital transformation of the educational sector more successful and organized. The aim of this alliance is to strengthen the education sector across Sindh by unleashing the potential of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) at every level. Under this agreement, Microsoft will conduct several workshops, training sessions, webinars and other joint activities in Sindh involving the key stakeholders.

The first step of collaboration is to work with leadership of the Sindh education to discuss and develop tailor-made digital transformation strategies. In this context, a number of change management workshops with the leadership will be conducted to help smoothen out the digitization process in the Sindh education sector. The Microsoft specialists are also committed to train the Sindh Government in designing, planning, and implementing cloud solutions through its cloud certification programs and producing MIE Master trainers who will impart technology learning on the behalf of Microsoft.

On the occasion of signing the agreement, Mr. Jibran Jamshad, Country Education Lead at Microsoft Corporation stated that “The agreement will prove to be a roadmap for both parties in bridging the gap between education and employability through information Communication technology. He further added that since we realize that the education sector in Pakistan demands a great deal of change in terms of digitalization, we are already connecting with various educational institutions. We are closely working with a number of private and public sector institutions in developing customized educational products and services. This partnership with Sindh Government is another step towards this goal to transform education sector in Sindh province.”

The Secretary School Education and Literacy Department, Sindh  Mr. Ghulam Akbar Laghari expresses his views at the occasion “ We are proud to be partnered with Microsoft in digitalizing Education system in Sindh. Under this partnership, we have developed SELD learning hub App and digital classrooms to cater the educational needs of students in current emergency situations. We are formally organizing these digital learning platforms to avoid any further gap in children learning across the province. Also, we foresee that this partnership has a long way to go in ensuring rapid pace of innovation in the classroom and inspire students for great achievements.

Another significant aspect of this ETA is to help Sindh education sector take benefit from the latest Microsoft technologies including Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure Microsoft teams and much more. Developing these skills, students, faculties and educators will be able to learn, collaborate, create content and share resources using the power of various Microsoft tools. This will enable the education sector to keep flowing and performing even in emergency situations like global pandemic.

This partnership pave way to reduce the gap between the education and employability through employment focused skill development programs. The program also involves special programs for people with vision and speech disabilities. Taking this cooperation to the next level, Microsoft will also join hands with the Sindh Government in creating a feasible and robust environment for digitalization. For example, in providing affordable and secure devices, free learning materials, providing professional development opportunities, ensuring internet connectivity in the areas of Sindh without the facility.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Expressing grave concern over the 2.2 million out of school children in the country, parliamentarians and stakeholders have emphasized upon the government to immediately notify the Free and Compulsory Education (Article 25A) in order the ‘free and compulsory education for all’ goal is achieved to meet the sustainable development goals.

These consensus views were expressed during a national conference on right to education where parliamentarians and other stakeholders organized by the Awaz CDS-Pakistan, Pakistan Development Alliance and VSO Pakistan. The purpose of this conference was to highlight the progress, challenges and way forward viz-a-viz implementation of Article 25-A after 12 years of its inception.

The panelists included Chief Executive Officer Awaz CDS, Zia ur Rehman; Chairperson National Commission for Child Rights, Afshan Tehseen; Zahra Arshad, Pakistan Coalition for Education, Areeba Shahid from PYCA, Malik Ibrar Hussain, President All Pakistan Private Schools Association; Atif from All Pakistan teachers forum, Dr. Hammad Lanng, Ministry of Human Rights; Nafeesa Khattak, Convener SDG4, Sub-Committee, National SDG Task Force; Punjab MPA & Chairperson Standing Committee on School Education, Aisha Nawaz Chaudhry; Shandana Gulzar-MNA and convened SDG 5,Malala Fund Country Director Javed Malik.

It is to mention here that the Free and Compulsory Education was passed by the parliament in 2010 however, the government is yet to notify it in Federal Capital and Punjab despite the passage of several years.

Starting the discussion, CEO Awaz CDS Zia ur Rehman said that due to the delay in notifying the Act, Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving the SDG on education. “As a developing state, we cannot afford to be lagging in achieving SDGs especially in education, which is key to progress and sustainability,” he remarked.

He mentioned that parliamentarians are visionary and committed to strengthen the education system and girls education. He urged them to highlight the demand of education at the lower sector and treat education as emergency and especially girls secondary education.

Nafeesa Khattak said that the parliament will be engaged to put pressure on the government for notification of the Act. She said that the government had engaged Ulema as well as private schools to encourage their input on the single national curriculum (SNC), yet it needs to enter the implementation phase to achieve education targets. The SNC is a balanced approach at government schools while the Madaris need to impart quality education along with religious education.

In her remarks, NCRC Chairperson Afshan Tehseen mentioned with concern that 2.2 million children are out of school in the country which needs to be controlled.

She regretted that Pakistan had committed 4 percent of the national budget for education but allocated only 2.8 percent. “We can make education a priority agenda if the government allocates a significant chunk of budget for this sector as well as collective efforts are ensured from all stakeholders,” she remarked.

Punjab MPA Shamim Aftab stressed the need to engage all stakeholders as well as parliamentarians for ensuring implementation of the Article 25-A. “The government should engage civil society to bring change through ensuring education to all children.

Ayesha Nawaz, another MPA from Punjab, said that education is the priority of the present government. She also shared that Punjab standing committee on education has also passed the amendment bill to notify Punjab free and compulsory education act 2014 at once. She also assured that in coming session, this bill will be passed from assembly hopefully.

Shandana Gulzar, Convener SDG5 Sub-Committee, National SDG Task Force, Chairperson Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, urged to keep girls at par with boys in education and choices of life ensuring equal opportunities. She further stressed that gender equality cannot be achieved if girls remains out of discourse in education.

180 Students to benefit from the school in Gaddani

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi, Chairman, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority inaugurated the CPHGC-TCF School. The simple ceremony was attended by the senior management of CPHGC and The Citizen Foundation.

According to a press statement released by the company “The CPHGC Campus of the TCF School is situated in Gaddani, District Lasbella, Balochistan. A dedicated well-trained teaching and support staff, most of whom have been hired from the locality of the school impart quality education to 180 local students. Spread over an area of 2 acres, the school is equipped with a library and a playing area. Statement further added that This is the 2nd collaboration between CPHGC and TCF. Earlier, in 2018, at the time of the FIFA World Cup, CPHGC financed the construction of a football pitch at the TCF-Mouza Kund school.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Ambreen Shah, Vice President Legal, Corporate and Production Development, reiterated CPHGC’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. “Education is the key in the development of any society. CPHGC, in collaboration with the local authorities, through its CSR initiatives is helping to provide opportunities to the less privileged of the society improve their living standards.” She further added that “ CPHGC’s active CSR program has contributed to a number of sustainable CSR initiatives that have helped better the lives of the people benefiting from them. These include the Floating Fishermen Jetty at Allana Goth; solar water pumps in Chaghi, the Clean Hub City program; training of local students and provided them with employment at the Plant; providing relief supplies during times of Covid.

CPHGC has so far spent PKR 163 million on various sustainable CSR initiatives since 2016. The CPHGC-TCF School in Gaddani is the first TCF school to be financed by a CPEC project.

In his address to the august gathering, Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi appreciated CPHGC’s great initiative for rallying behind NEPRA’s ‘Power with Prosperity’ initiative and launching a school in Gadani, Balochistan in partnership with The Citizen Foundation (TCF).

AWARDS

CPHGC’s CSR Initiatives have been recognized and the Company has been awarded numerous accolades, including the prestigious NEPRA CSR Award where it received the CSR Stalwart Award.

February 21, 2022: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi and Al-Kauser signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure cooperation between both the institutions with the purpose of mutually strengthening each other, and in playing their role in making quality education accessible to the deserving students studying at the Institute by providing them financial assistance.

Director Finance, Al Kauser, Syed Akif Abbas, and Executive Director, IBA Karachi, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi signed the MoU at the ceremony held at the IBA Main Campus.

The IBA was represented by the Executive Director, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi; Director, Alumni and Corporate Relations, Ms. Malahat Awan; Director, Finance, Mr. Moeid Sultan; Director, Talent Hunt Program, Dr. Junaid Alam Khan, whereas representatives for Al Kauser included, Mr. Qaim Mehdi and Director Finance, Syed Akif Abbas.

This collaboration will not only help the deserving students but will also facilitate in creating a pool of talented graduates that have the required skill set and technical knowledge in consonance with the industry requirement so that they can perform well in dynamic business environments.

Al Kauser aims to facilitate the access of education to financially disadvantaged students at the IBA on an annual, pay-as-you-go basis. It is currently sponsoring 12 students of the IBA under the Al-Kauser Scholarship. Moreover, it will also provide support to up to 4 students every year.

The IBA supports approximately 30% of its student body every year to ensure inclusivity through its financial assistance program.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) After a wait of two years owing to the pandemic, the IBA Career Fair 2022 was brought back on campus physically in all its splendor and glory by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi at the Main Campus for its students to explore the job market.

The Career Fair is held each year by the efforts of the IBA Alumni and Placement Society with the help of the management at the IBA Karachi, to help provide both corporate companies as well as emerging ventures with the chance to engage with the diverse community of the Institute.

The organizers were able to revive it with exponential zeal by bringing on-board 120+ companies and 50 career counselors. The companies that were in attendance this year were from a variety of industries including consumer goods, banking, e-commerce, software development, textile, food, and many more.

At the inauguration of the Career Fair, Executive Director, IBA Karachi, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi stated, “Today we have witnessed the largest number of companies and students we have ever had which is empirical evidence of the quality of education offered at the IBA Karachi.”

Additional Commissioner Karachi and IBA Alumnus, Syed Jawad Muzaffar, was also invited to speak on the scope of CSS in the opening ceremony of the event. He proudly mentioned that Civil Services had nine successful students from IBA this year belonging to different departments. He also encouraged students to join the Civil Services to get the opportunity to serve Pakistan in the public sector.

The event also featured career counseling which gave the students the opportunity to interact with 50 industry experts regarding their career exploration and development on a one-on-one basis. These counseling sessions were aimed at providing students the personalized support and assistance in nurturing their career growth and involved counselors from many renowned brands like Unilever, L’Oreal, CBL, Shan Foods, Engro, P&G, Khaadi, Swvl, Pepsi, and several others who aided the students to have a look into their future and inspired them to be more committed towards their career.

The IBA Career Fair 2022 featured Ismail Industries Limited as the Platinum sponsor, Friesland Campina as the Gold sponsor, and Meezan Bank and ICI Pakistan Limited as the Bronze sponsors. Other sponsors included: Diner’s as the clothing partner, KFC as the food partner, Pepsi as the beverages partner, Makstudio as photography partner, and Bogo and Bagallery as gift partners.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After a forced hiatus of two years due to the pandemic THAAP has decided to hold the its annual THAAP Conference – 2022, in November. The theme of the 11th international THAAP conference is “Archaeology and Living Cultural Legacy of Harappa Civilization” and Scholars are invited to research, write, and present papers at the conference to be held on November 25, 26 & 27, 2022.

Interested scholars from all over the world are invited to participate and write a paper on the proposed theme; they have been asked to submit an abstract of no more than 300 words till 1st March 2022, at thaap.conference@gmail.com and pvandal59@gmail.com , outlining the thought, research and presentation that you will make at the Conference. The actual paper shall be 3000 to 4000 words. The Paper Selection Committee will inform the selected paper readers after which the complete paper will be due by Oct 2022.

The creative force behind Thaap conference, Pervaiz Vandal shared that the extent and age of the Harappa Civilization has been established by recent archaeology and culture studies as being more than 10,000 years old covering area beyond the immediate Indus Valley to Gujrat and Helmand region of India and Afghanistan. Language is a living carrier of cultural traditions and its study has thrown up important clues to the understanding of history of the Punjab, a sector of the region.

Harappa culture is the label now in common use to define the broader Indus Valley Civilization that with every new archaeological discovery and insight from culture studies never ceases to amaze with its beauty and complexity. The residents of this region are the inheritors of this unique culture that shows an unbroken link through centuries. There are present day facets of culture, belief systems, language that can be traced back to pre-Harappa times and help explain the particularity of our region and social behavior. The three day conference will give thought provoking details about the land of 5 (7) rivers, Punjab. The language script remains to be deciphered, there is no sustained long term program of archaeological investigation, there is lack of political coordination among the three countries that house the remains, and there is hesitation to accept Harappa Culture as a common heritage.

During the three day conference, various sessions of research paper reading, cultural talks and other literary gatherings will be held at THAAP secretariat. Writers, Scholars and Cultural lovers will attend the proceedings.

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Knowledge Platform, in collaboration with GSMA and CreditPer, launches Pakistan’s first educational device

Our goal with this device is to bring education to every household in Pakistan at an affordable price.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Knowledge Platform, a leading ed-tech organization in Pakistan, has launched Pakistan’s first educational device in collaboration with GSMA and CreditPer, a leading digital lending platform that provides easy access to digital credit to under-served and un-served market segments.

Launching such a device and facilitating access to it on easy installments via CreditPer is a game changer that is expected to eliminate the digital divide in education in Pakistan. This device offers everything a student required to study. One can easily get the device of their choice recommended by Knowledge Platform, on installments through CreditPer with instant financing options.

The device comes pre-loaded with learning solutions powered by Knowledge Platform, a library of content including videos, games, and assessments and mobile data

Only 1 million out of 49 million school-going (grade 1-12)students in Pakistan have access to dedicated educational smart devices. This means that~98% of students are significantly affected and disadvantaged when it comes to education and learning opportunities.

Knowledge Platform, a pioneer in ed-tech, has therefore stepped up to bridge the digital divide in education with Pakistan’s first-ever educational device. The device comes with Learn Smart Pakistan’s state-of-the-art learning solutions, which include curriculum-aligned digital content for K-12 students. It is also preloaded with Parhai Buddy (Pakistan’s first AI-powered learning coach), Exam Prep Master (Learn Smart Pakistan), 1-on-1 competitions, and teacher-led trainings.

To increase mobile adoption, CreditPer is offering easy installment plans to meet unique individual needs. To increase internet adoption in the region, we have also partnered with Jazz Telecom to come up with an Edu-data sim containing a subsidized internet package at PKR. 150 per month.

The project has been recognized, and nominated for the Global Mobile Awards, by the GSMA as a best mobile innovation for the emerging markets and is considered an outstanding contribution to the UN SDGs.

Mahboob Mahmood CEO, Knowledge Platform said “We are honored to bethe change makers in theed-tech industry. Affordable devices and internet access are key barriers to online education. With the launch of this educational tablet, we have moved a step closer to our goal of bridging the digital divide. Through this deal with CreditPer, the device is available on installments to people with low-income streams, providing them access to personalized learning, digital content, games, assessments, and data. Over the years, the way education is practiced has evolved rapidly and it is good to see tech companies joining hands to transform education.”

“CreditPer is on a mission to bring affordable and accessible credit for every Pakistani to improve their lives, and this partnership with Knowledge Platform as Pakistan’s leading education technology organization, helps us in the pursuit and fulfillment of this mission. Parents will be able to order the Knowledge Platform education device, access Learn Smart Pakistan’s learning solutions & Parhai Buddy (Pakistan’s first AI-based learning coach), and Jazz mobile connectivity, all from the comfort of their homes and places of work. Additionally, they will also be enjoying swift loan approvals and product delivery from via CreditPer, thus being empowered to better equip their children for online learning. At CreditPer, we are honored and thrilled to be a part of this initiative to help eliminate the challenges (of device affordability) faced by a majority of Pakistani students. ”Says Owais Zaidi, CEO CreditPer.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  At the culmination of its eighth cohort, the National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL) at LUMS held its flagship Investor Summit, bringing together seasoned investors, inspiring entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators.

“We have now graduated eight cohorts from Lahore and Quetta in a short period of time, by dynamically adapting to extraordinary circumstances, transforming our offering, and launching several new initiatives such as programmes in partnership with Saarland and Stanford,” said Saleem Ahmad, Chairman NICL and NIC Quetta. “At the Investor Summit today, I am proud to see the transformation and growth in these remarkable young entrepreneurs. Our aim at NICL is to continue supporting such talent and connecting with industry and academia to generate lasting impact,” he added.

The 13 start-ups graduating are a diverse set of high-impact ventures, including QBio, establishing Pakistan’s enzyme biotechnology company; Dawa Asaan, Pakistan’s first smart pharmacy delivering pre-sorted medicines; Peervest, a digital equity-based crowdfunding platform that connects tech-enabled start-ups with eligible investors; Loading Champions, a complete learning, coaching and recruitment solution; and Heirloom, that produces artisanal, sustainable and responsibly produced goods with elevated aesthetics. In the past, NICL’s graduating start-ups have gone on to raise funding after pitching at the Investor Summit; KalPay, a shariah-compliant BNPL service have already closed their pre-seed round via an angel investment of $100,000 and are in the process of finalising their next round of funding.

Attending the Investor Summit and offering valuable feedback were an esteemed panel of investors and entrepreneurs from across the ecosystem, including Aatif Awan (Indus Valley Capital), Badar Khushnood (P@sha), Qasif Shahid (Finja), Salman Khalid (Chogori Ventures), Ali Farid Khwaja (KTrade.pk), Omair Ansari (Abhi), Usman Javaid (Ricult Inc.), as well as Yusra Solangi (Zayn Capital) and Shakaib Naqvi (Zayn Capital). Representatives from Engro Corporation’s energy team were also present to provide perspective on sustainable solutions and corporate innovation.

Speaking at the occasion, Badar Khushnood, Chairman P@sha and member of NICL’s Foundation Council observed, “The diversity, depth and professionalism of start-ups at the Investor Summit is heartening to see. Despite challenges posited by Covid, NICL has been able to build the right pipeline of start-ups and mature it effectively. I’m delighted that each pitch I saw today, reflected the right vision, exposure and confidence.”

Start-ups presenting at the Investor Summit undergo a rigorous six-month long programme, with in-depth training in Design Thinking, Law, Strategy and Business Modelling, Market Research, Communications and Entrepreneurial Finance. In addition, they receive one-to-one mentorship from industry leaders in their domains.  

The Center is now gearing up to welcome its ninth cohort, with ideas that solve problems in high-impact verticals across Pakistan. Representing fintech, Aamdani, a start-up founded by LUMS students, promotes earned wage access; Cashmail, founded to help ease chronic poverty, works on loan disbursement and recovery with the microfinance industry; whereas Zarai Zambeel provides digital financial solutions and services for farmers.

Other ideas include Gamma Green Recycle which helps recycling through cash incentives, SAY Global, that works on solving mental health and speech impediment issues, and Ebilty, which connects transporters with customers and provides end to end solutions.

 

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), on Tuesday 18th January 2022, announced the results of students who sat exams in the December 2021 session. Four Pakistani students scored the highest marks globally outperforming exam sitters worldwide. Arham Ali, an ACCA student from Lahore, scored the highest marks in Maintaining Financial Records exam.

Similarly, Usama Maharir Muhammad from Lahore topped the Managing Costs & Finance exam. Komal Bawani, a young girl from Karachi achieved a perfect score in ACCA’s Management Function while Muhammad Umair Jan, an ACCA student from Peshawar, became the global topper in the Recording Financial Transactions exam.

These global prizewinners were commended by Assad Hameed Khan, Head of ACCA Pakistan. He said, ‘It’s encouraging to see the country’s youth putting in the hard work to outperform their peers around the world. This further enables us in establishing Pakistan as a global hub for world-class talent in accounting and finance.’ The ACCA degree is widely regarded as the gold standard in accountancy, with recognition and presence in over 178 countries worldwide, providing access to highly respected and rewarding career opportunities.