Category: Education

Islamabad (NUT DESK) Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood on Wednesday briefed the media regrading updates on the closure of schools after an important meeting of education and health ministers at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

He said the educational institutions which were closed earlier due to high positivity rates, will remain shut till April 11. Provincial governments and authorities in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are empowered to take the final decision in this regard, keeping the latest situation in mind, he added.

He clarified that school administrators can continue to call in teachers in affected districts if they want to.

“The meeting noted with concern the worsening situation of the disease in Lahore and several cities of Punjab and also in some districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Mehmood said in his briefing.

Mehmood said the authorities are aware of the losses borne by students, but the health of children is the government’s top priority and there would be no compromise on that.

Regarding Cambridge International Exams, the minister said that the government would hold a meeting with the CAIE officials to see whether examinations can be postponed or not.

Meanwhile, “ninth, Matric and Intermediate exams will be held as per schedule announced by the respective education boards,” he said.
The federal minister emphasized that when he says educational institutes, he means all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities and religious seminaries.“The next meeting of the education and health ministers will be held on the April 7 to review the whole situation and then take the decision accordingly,” he added.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani, however, said shortly after the meeting that schools should remain open in cities where the pandemic is under control.
While talking to media, he said that the positivity ratio in Sindh educational institutes is 2.8%, but Sindh’s final decision on schools will depend on data shared by the NCOC.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan (IFMP). Both the organisations have decided to work together to promote investor awareness and financial literacy among students, professionals and small businesses. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Karachi, head of ACCA Pakistan, Sajjeed Aslam, shared: ‘Financial literacy is crucial for the sustainable growth of capital markets ecosystem. The limited levels of financial literacy and investor education, especially among SMEs and young entrepreneurs in Pakistan, is a significant factor in the equally low levels of successful access to external finance and absence of long-term financial planning.’ ‘As part of our commitment to the community, we’re happy to be joining forces with IFMP to promote knowledge about the financial system, educate small businesses about different options to access finance and encourage their participation in retail financial markets, and help SMEs to scale up leveraging effective financial planning.’, he added. Sharing the details of the MoU, Mobashar Sadik, CEO, IFMP, said: ‘IFMP in partnership with ACCA intends to promote the cause of financial education, not just for typical investors but also for the middle-income households. The rising complexity of financial markets means consumers have to choose between a variety of complex financial instruments for borrowing and saving. Individuals, when become financially educated, are more likely to save and to challenge financial service providers to develop products that truly respond to their needs, and that would have positive effects on both investment levels and economic growth. We are sure that this partnership will help us achieve this goal of empowering public through financial knowledge.’ ACCA has been actively supporting the financial literacy agenda in the country. Collaboration with Akhuwat to support micro-entrepreneurs with their cash flow management during the current pandemic, partnership with Jamapunji for financial literacy and investor education roadshows across Pakistan, promotion of gamified digital learning with NIBAF, joint session with State Bank on access to capital, and cooperation with Kamayi to deliver free-of-cost professional advice to small businesses are some of the recent examples of ACCA leading the financial literacy agenda in Pakistan. 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s leading connectivity provider, Zong 4G, organized a yoga and laughter therapy session for the special schoolchildren at Kingston School for Special Education, Abbottabad to rejuvenate the spirits amid the pandemic. Zong 4G is leaving no stone unturned to create a more socially inclusive Pakistan through various initiatives. The invigorating yoga session, which was arranged for special children from the KP region and their teachers, was followed by a happy meditation and laughter therapy session which the participants enjoyed to the fullest. The young participants of the sessions included children with physical challenges as well as children with autism. A special ‘Burn-Out Yoga’ session arranged for teachers who are dealing with special children daily, so they are prepared for the new normal amid the Covid-19 pandemic. An awareness session on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was also conducted, followed by the distribution of hygiene kits comprising masks, sanitizers, and interactive manual to stay safe from Covid-19, based on guidelines from UNICEF. “Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values and continue to play an important part in our company’s success. As part of our CSR strategy, we are reaching the marginalized members of the society, providing them with greater opportunities and working towards reducing the divide in society. Our visit to the Kingston School for Special Education is reflective of our strong commitment to engaging with the marginalized strata of the society.” shared Zong’s official spokesperson. “We thank Zong for the kind and much-needed gesture, and hope that it will bring the right kind of education and enthusiasm to these special children and their educators in these troubling times,” shared Sardar Irfan who represents the underprivileged special children from the KPK Region. “We need more organizations to follow Zong’s footsteps and come forward for the support and education of these physically and mentally challenged kids of our country.” Besides being a leading connectivity partner for Pakistanis, Zong 4G is fueling hope for a better future through such activities for a more socially-inclusive country. 

 

NIC LUMS opens applications for innovators to operationalise tech-enabled solutions for real-world impact

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The National Incubation Center at LUMS, Lahore (NICL) is ready to induct the next group of passionate innovators looking to make a meaningful impact by transforming their ideas into investor-ready business plans.

NICL’s mission is to partner with visionary thinkers and radical doers. With a focused approach towards providing the best training, facilities, and networking support in Pakistan, NICL brings unprecedented opportunities to mobilise start-ups and provide them with the necessary tools to not only ensure scalable success, but also to bolster the start-up ecosystem of the country.

The Center has identified high impact areas for improvement in Pakistan including education, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and the environment. By harnessing the power of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, blockchain and the Internet of Things, NICL aims to partner with the next generation of innovators to solve Pakistan’s most critical problems. This national-level purpose also gives start-ups supported by NICL a much larger commercial opportunity than offered by most.

The cohort will be selected to the free-of-cost programme through a rigorously competitive process. “Each application will be reviewed by members of NICL’s Foundation Council, which includes successful entrepreneurs with a diverse range of experiences who have themselves raised significant capital for growth, as well as angel and venture investors active in Pakistan. Each member is passionately committed to ensuring progress and success for Pakistan, committing their time, capital and experience to curate and develop the start-up ecosystem of the country,” commented Saleem Ahmad, Chairman NICL.

Over the course of six months, the curriculum will be delivered by esteemed LUMS faculty and international technical experts and will comprise six intensive bootcamps covering: 1) design thinking; 2) strategy and business modelling; 3) marketing, branding and sales; 4) finance, accounting, valuation and equity management; 5) negotiations and legal aspects of entrepreneurship; and 6) presentation and communication skills. The applied focus of academic programming, supplemented by bespoke workshops, a speaker series and mentorship by LUMS alumni, will be instrumental in developing ideas into reality.

In addition, the cohort can take advantage of a multitude of resources including the Entrepreneurs in Conversation series which gives start-ups direct access to those who have successfully tread the path of innovation and entrepreneurship so they can learn and be inspired by those who have made it. And through it all, start-ups will find support and guidance from an esteemed panel of mentors- industry leaders and LUMS graduates who continue to keep the university’s ethos of “Learning Without Borders” alive by utilising their strong network to connect start-ups with relevant opportunities, often establishing a long-term relationship with ventures.

The programme will culminate with an Investor Summit, where early-stage venture investors will interact with the most promising start-ups. The top graduates will also be offered a three-month residency with participating venture capital firms entailing one-on-one mentorship to develop and further commercialise their ideas. They will also be referred to or nominated to other global programmes that can bring even greater value to their venture.

This is an invaluable opportunity for mission-driven entrepreneurs looking for the right experts to guide them on the journey of transformative disruption. The application deadline is March 28, 2021.

The Investor Summit for the cohort currently in session will be held on April 10 and 11, 2021. It will be live streamed via Facebook on NICL’s page, @NICLSolveTogether.

Extractive industry companies fall short when telling the whole picture about climate risks in their annual reports

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A detailed analysis of mining, oil and gas companies by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School reveals the need for more clarity and depth in climate change related disclosures. The scrutiny of 60 companies’ 2019 annual reports indicates that many companies do not sufficiently engage with disclosures about their climate change-related risks. With COP26 taking place in Glasgow in November, this analysis comes as a wakeup call, with the report authors saying there is a more urgent need for improving climate change-related disclosures. Richard Martin, head of corporate reporting at ACCA says: ‘Our study sheds light on the current climate change-related reporting practices of these companies, revealing that they provide, on average, overly generic disclosures and they refrain from discussing how climate change risks affect their operations. Only a small number of companies acknowledge the central role of climate change on their current and future activities.’ Diogenis Baboukardos at the University of Essex and the lead researcher in this project, adds: ‘Considering that companies in the extractive industries contribute significantly to the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate change can no longer be seen as a side effect of their operations but as a central issue for their business model and a core business risk.’ Key findings in Climate change risk related disclosures in extractive industries reveal: · Fewer than a quarter (14 companies) provide scenario analysis that considers/discusses climate change risks. · 60% (36) identify addressing climate change risk as an integral part of their business model. · Just 15 companies (25% of the sample) consider international initiatives for climate change (eg the Paris Agreement) in the discussion of their business model. · Only four companies (7% of the sample) provide performance indicators where financial and climate change-related information is integrated. · Only 10% (6) disclose that they incorporate climate change risks in their estimations of future cash flows, as part of their impairment testing calculations. · None of the sample companies identify climate change risk as an important factor in determining their assets’ useful lives. · In only 15% of the sample companies’ audit reports (9) is climate change risk identified as a key audit matter. Richard Martin concludes: ‘Our analysis raises questions over the consistency, relevance and decision-usefulness of these companies’ financial reporting. In the management report – the ‘front end’ of the annual report – though most make reference to the issue, not all by any means provide adequate information about how climate change risk may impact their reserves, the results of different climate change scenarios or how their business model is adjusting to these immense risks.’

Lahore (Qasim Ali) In an effort to highlight the rich legacy and historical perspective of Pakistan film Industry, a unique exhibition comprising a series of Punjabi Film posters is getting concentration of the film & cinema students. The exhibition has been arranged by school of Culture and Language (SCL) and school of Digital and Cinematic Art (SDCA) at the main gallery of Institute of Art and Culture (IAC), Raiwind Road, Lahore.

IAC professor Zafar Iqbal inaugurated the exhibition, which consists of a variety of posters including handmade pieces and digital Punjabi Films posters produced from the era of 1935-2000 in the subcontinent. Posters put up and stuck to the walls of the cities in Ind-Pak region that invariably announced the arrival of a new film were a glimpse to the roots from where Punjabi cinema first started.

The exhibition has been curated by Ms. Kainat Thebo (lecturer, IAC). In the opening ceremony while talking to the viewers, she shared that the exhibition is a walk through time and history to realise that these posters are not just a piece of old papers but visuals that offer you a glimpse at the history of Punjabi films.

The exhibition not only included a display of posters but was started by a short documentary by Prof Qaisar Iqbal (Assistant Professor, IAC) that gave an overview of the history of Punjabi films in general.

The first Punjabi film screened on March 29th, 1935, titled “Ishq e Punjab/ Mirza Sahiban” was the first step to establishing a culture of modernity as well as showcasing our culture to the general public.

Thirty four (34) Punjabi films were produced from 1935 to 1947 in Kolkata, Bombay and Lahore. After partition, three thousand, five hundred and ninety two (3592) Punjabi films hit the cinema screens from 1948-2000 in Pakistan and India.

Prof Qaisar Iqbal was also invited to give a talk on Punjabi films and the language of Punjab and how its losing its identity overtime. Prof Qaiser Iqbal shared that the number of Punjabi films produced in Pakistan is second largest after Urdu and they have provided entertainment to a large population of the country from the decades. Filmmakers have used the soulful folk music tunes and poetry to enrich their productions and audiences have loved it also.

This was followed by a talk by Prof. Mushtaq Soofi (Professor, IAC) who gave an insight to the history and importance of Punjabi Language through the medium of film. Prof. Mushtaq Soofi said that film is among the most valuable medium of entertainment and communication and Punjabi films have played a significant role in projection of the culture of Punjab through quality films produced in earlier decades after creation of Pakistan.

Mr. Ali Ijaz (Lecturer, IAC) from the film department gave a talk on how visuals impact social, and political movements and could be a revolutionary tool in our society.

Students present in the exhibition took great interest in learning about the history of films and art of film posters making which now have been completely digitized after the evolution of modern technology.

PESHAWAR (NUT DESK) –  District administration on Tuesday sealed 42 schools in different localities on violation of anti-coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The teams of district administration conducted inspections of various schools at Faqirabad, Hashtnagri, Lahori, Warsak Road, Gulbahar, and Zaryab Colony where 42 schools were sealed due to not following government notified SOPs. The sealed schools included Frontier Model, Warsak Public, Smart, Mashroom Montessori, International Tarbia, Lyceum and Al-Elum and others.