Category: Education

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) In line with Hubco’s mission of uplifting the communities within which it operates, it is funding a primary school operated by The Citizens Foundation (TCF) in Pirkus, Hub. Inaugurated by Chairman NEPRA, Tauseef H Farooqi, the school is spread over 2 acres of land. As per the MoU signed between the two, the school is operated by TCF while all the operational costs are borne by Hubco. 210 students are already enrolled in this school.

The NEPRA team was welcomed by Khalid Mansoor, CEO – Hubco, Ruhail Mohammad, CEO – Hub Power Holdings Limited and members of Hubco’s CSR team at the school premises.

As part of a pledge to keep the premises green, the NEPRA and Hubco teams also planted trees in the TCF ground.

Both the teams also visited Mouza Kund, where two primary and two secondary schools are already being jointly run by TCF and Hubco. Here, a vocational training centre for women was also inaugurated. 15 women from the local community are presently inducted in the training centre. Hubco has also announced that it will be setting up three more vocational centres for women in the villages of Goth Qadir Buksh Gadoor, Goth Allana Gadoor and Goth Abbas Gadoor.

Huma Zafar, CSR Consultant – NEPRA, in her speech, appreciated Hubco’s efforts to further education and skill-building in underdeveloped areas. She also encouraged the local women to take full advantage of the training center and to apply these acquired skills for the betterment of the community. Hassan Bukhari, Senior Manager CSR – HUBCO, in his speech, said that by becoming skilled in the art of stitching these women would be able to become financially secure; TCF added that it would be giving these women the responsibility of stitching school uniforms as a means of employment.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Being an educational institute, the IBA Karachi understands the importance of teachers, holds them in high esteem and imparts the same values to its students, staff, and faculty members. 

The IBA Karachi strongly condemns any misconduct against teachers by any member of the society. An altercation involving an IBA student and a faculty member from the University of Karachi is highly regrettable. The matter has been forwarded to the IBA Disciplinary Committee for necessary action. We will also invite a senior Professor of the University of Karachi to be part of this Disciplinary Committee.

The IBA has strict measures in place to discipline any misconduct and will not tolerate any act which would bring the institution into disrepute. We hope that the KU Teachers’ Association and the IBA will resolve the matter amicably and work towards the welfare of the teachers in future.

Bridging the digital divide with DSU sponsorship to strengthen TCF’s Alumni Development Program (TCF-ADP) with “Tuition Free Scholarship and Laptop”

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The DHA Suffa University (DHU) and Tech Saeein announced today a joint initiative to partner with the Citizen Foundation (TCF) to support merit-based scholarship and equip the best student with a state-of-the-art laptop personal computer.

Tech Saeein complimented the DHA Suffa University’s “Tuition Fee” Scholarship to the most deserving student on merit to bridge the digital divide. The scholarship will build better understanding of the younger generation to compete in the digital age. Tech Saeein supported this initiative by donating a Laptop PC to the most academically promising TCF School Student. The student selected is from a faraway location from peri-urban area of Karachi and enrolled in the Computer Science Program of the DSU.

The Vice Chancellor, DHA Suffa University, Engr. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Afzal Haque reiterated his commitment to make this institution more inclusive on the basis of both merit and need based assessments. He said, we are proud to be one of the few institutions in the country, who are reaching out to the communities to make this as a institution of higher learning with excellence in education, sports and social cohesion. One of the key areas that we would like to develop in our students is to develop compassion along with academic excellence. He further said, “the Community Service and Sustainability Program (CSSP) at DHA Suffa University (DSU) is based on the theme of giving time or talent for the benefit of a community group (not for profit) that has a genuine need for service”. He further said, “The CSSP is an action program that allows an individual to learn, serve and transform their lives”.

Dr. Haque said, “The community service program at DHU, plays an important role in invoking a sense of civic responsibility in an individual”. To ensure that DSU’s vision of nation building is materialized, the university has made community service a mandatory requirement for undergraduate students of the Management Sciences Department.

Mr. Mohsin Iqbal, Chief Operating Officer for Tech Saeein, an innovative online technology mall, said, “we are ensuring we can kick start a trend for other corporate sector organizations in Pakistan, to start playing their part for their corporate social responsibility”. He further elaborated that, “Tech Saeein is an online platform that offers state-of-the-art technical equipment and solutions for the busines and academia along with a wide range of laptops with special discounts for the students”. “Our support for the best student is on the basis of need cum merit basis. So, the most deserving student shall not be left behind due to financial constrains or social inequalities”, he added.

Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) and RINSTRA sign MoU to build capacity related to digital and social skills for the faculty and students through interactive workshops, seminars and courses.  

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) and RINSTRA Technologies Pvt. Ltd. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly work together to build digital skills of the students and faculty. RINSTRA will enable digital media skills through interactive workshops, seminars and courses, while providing its state-of-the-art platform for digital film festivals and theme-based video competitions. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor FJWU, said, Fatima Jinnah University is one of the few academic institutions in the country, which prides itself in being a center of excellence for women education and leadership. The University is now moving towards knowledge development, through research-based initiatives that can be commercialized. We are thriving to make our students stand out as pioneers in academic and business research. She further added that women empowerment through higher education is our primary goal.

Through this collaboration, FJWU and RINSTRA will create hybrid media content like movies, dramas, music videos, theater, documentaries and videos for RINSTRA and other digital platforms. 

Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer RINSTRA, said, this MoU is important to enable young storytellers to be equipped with digital skills that can earn them enough income so they can sustain their creative pursuits and economic wellbeing. RINSTRA has a vision to create 1,000,000 content creators in the next five years, that can create a new digital creative economy in the country.  

As per the details of the MoU, both the organizations will work on improving the digital storytelling technique and creative thinking, that will help the students to look at issues and challenges from a narrative perspective. Both the organizations also agreed to create research opportunities in the space of MediaTech. This will enable the students to find new work opportunities in the content industries, including RINSTRA.com as a potential future work partner. Fatima Jinnah Women University is a public sector university with a mission to achieve excellence through a conducive learning environment for collective well-being and societal transformation. The University is a symbol of commitment of the nation to women’s education. The University has a chartered vision to aspire and innovate for a sustainable future by promoting higher education, research, collaboration and community engagement to achieve societal empowerment. The institution is funded by the Punjab Government. 

RINSTRA is Pakistan’s first short-form digital media platform for on-demand streaming and for creation of user generated original content on iRINSTRA. RINSTRA provides entrepreneurship opportunities to emerging and established content creators and film makers in Pakistan and beyond. RINSTRA gives content creators access to a large Pakistani community around the globe. RINSTRA has been able to create a very unique platform that offers dramas and films, while enabling users to generate their own content on the same platform. It also has a feature for Content Competition where, more then 100 academic institutions in Pakistan are competing on various thematic areas. The Fest feature of the application has provided some of the leading Film Festivals to partner with RINSTRA for digital viewing of their films and documentaries. This has created an unprecedented experience for viewers in the country.   

Creative and independent content with premier shows and films can be accessed on RINSTRA by visiting the website http://www.rinstra.com or downloading apps from the Google Play Store and/or Apple App Store 

PSO to sponsor the education of 5 deserving students

Students to be chosen from IBA-NTHP

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) have joined hands through the PSO CSR Trust to help talented students from underprivileged backgrounds pursue their educational aspirations. The selected students were chosen by the IBA Karachi from across Pakistan through the National Talent Hunt Program (IBA-NTHP).

During a ceremony held at PSO’s head office in Karachi, Managing Director and CEO, PSO, Syed Muhammad Taha, presented a cheque to the Executive Director, IBA, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, to sponsor the higher education of five undergraduate students. An agreement was also signed by Chairperson, PSO CSR Trust, Mr. Babar H. Chaudhry and Dr. Zaidi.

Sharing his views at the occasion, Syed Muhammad Taha said, “We have integrated corporate philanthropy into our core business strategy and it is our constant endeavor to encourage and inspire young people while fueling their professional growth. By spending one third of our CSR budget to further quality education in our country, we aim to energize future generations, providing them the education and skills they need to transform Pakistan.”

Dr. Zaidi echoed Mr. Taha’s sentiments and remarked, “The IBA is grateful to PSO and its CSR Trust for their continued support in ensuring that deserving and meritorious students get a chance to study without any financial restraints. We hope that this relationship between two leading organizations will be fruitful and enduring for students, society and Pakistan.”

PSO and IBA continue to play their respective roles to support the youth in pursuing education in business and allied fields based on merit irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religion or financial means.

 

 

Goethe-Institut organizes the FIRST VIRTUAL PASCH PRINCIPALS’ CONFERENCE SOUTH ASIA NORTH 2021 “THE GERMAN WAYS AND THE WAYS WITH GERMAN”

• PASCH stands for “Schools: Partners for the Future”
• Aimed to bring together Principals of PASCH Schools of the Northern South Asian region, who are supported by the Goethe-Institu
• Attended by more than 40 Principals from PASCH Schools Northern South Asia

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) With the vision of giving insights to the Principals into the untapped opportunities and a brighter future for young students, Goethe-Institut organized the FIRST VIRTUAL PASCH PRINCIPALS’ CONFERENCE SOUTH ASIA NORTH 2021 “THE GERMAN WAYS AND THE WAYS WITH GERMAN” from 22.01.2021 to 24.01.2021. The conference aimed to bring together Principals of PASCH Schools of the Northern South Asian region, who are supported by the Goethe-Institut.

For this initiative, Goethe-Institut partnered with leading schools in some of the major cities in Pakistan. Schools in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi were engaged in the first virtual PASCH principals’ conference.

During the three-day conference, the PASCH-Initiative and its goals were discussed in detail and the resulting perspectives for students in South Asia were explored together with the school principals.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Veronika Taranzinskaja, PASCH Head of South Asia said, “The conference brought discourse and reflection on interconnecting educational issues. The digital format of the conference did not allow for real encounters, but we were able to create an intimate exchange between principals and their representatives across the borders of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran.”

On the first day of the conference, the guests were welcomed by Dr Berthold Franke, Director of the Regional Institute New Delhi and Head of the South Asia Region, followed by Dr Christoph Veldhues, Head of Language Department, Goethe-Institut Munich. The Cultural and Visa Department of the German Embassy, New Delhi supported the conference with opening remarks on the role of the PASCH-Network in South Asia and also with important tips on Visa-Application for Germany.

The main objectives of PASCH Initiative were introduced such as awakening interest and enthusiasm for Germany, motivating young people to learn German, to create intercultural understanding, by creating spaces for transcultural interaction between students.

A presentation of the PASCH projects in 2020/2021 was given by Ms Veronika Taranzinskaja.

The school principals also received information from the DAAD on living, studying and working in Germany. The representatives of the AHK with the Pro Recognition project showed which professional perspectives, graduates from South Asia can expect, especially with regard to apprenticeships and what support for the recognition of qualifications from Pro Recognition looks like in concrete terms.

A model was also presented on how professional orientation at PASCH schools could take place. Numerous school principals showed interest in the same.

During the Barcamp on the second day of the conference; the school principals brought up current educational topics from everyday school life. Motivating contributions were made on the topics of “building the alumni network”, “learning in the new world” and “classroom management in online learning”, which led to constructive discussions.

Dr Steinmetz, a Specialist STEM vocabulary in GFL lessons and co-author of “German for Engineers”, 2018, explained how the promotion of technical language in STEM clubs at PASCH schools could be done. This topic holds a lot of importance for the South Asian high school graduates, as most of them choose Germany as their place of study and opt for STEM-relevant subjects.

A lot of variety and hilarity were brought by the workshop “These Strange German Ways”, conducted by Mrs. Puneet Kaur, Head German in 1000 Schools.   Principals also approached the German language in a “Learn German 1” course.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Country Report on NBFI and Modaraba sector prepared by IBA-CEIF, in collaboration with NBFI and Modaraba Association, was launched at the IBA City Campus. Chairman NBFI and Modaraba Association, Mr. Basheer A. Chowdry, presented the report to Executive Director IBA, Dr. S. Akbar Zaidi.

Advisor to PM on Institutional Reforms & Austerity, Dr. Ishrat Husain was the Chief guest of the event and he suggested a number of measures to be taken by the NBFI & Modaraba Sector for its development and growth. He congratulated the authors and people who worked hard to produce such a fine report on the sector. He said that introduction of Fintech in the country would disrupt primacy of both the banking and non-banking sector to reposition themselves. He also mentioned that SME lending of the banks has reached from 17% to 7% which is very disturbing for the development of the SME Sector.

Mr. Chowdry said that the report included various aspects of the non-banking and Modaraba sector encompassing its evolution, growth, structure, performance, shariah compliance and regulatory framework and provide a comprehensive coverage of the sector. He highlighted the performance and contribution of the sector and said that the sector has distributed significant amount to its shareholders/certificate holders in the shape of cash dividend. He also highlighted the various measures taken by the Association for the awareness, growth and image building of the Sector.

Dr. S. Akbar Zaidi also addressed the participants and appreciated the coordination between IBA-CEIF and NBFI and Modaraba Association of Pakistan and hoped that in future a series of such type of reports would also be brought for the awareness of the sector.

Also present at the ceremony, Commissioner SECP, Mr. Farrukh H. Sabzwari said that the SECP had recommended various amendments in the Modaraba Ordinance, 1980 including Introduction of unlisted Modaraba, powers to the Certificate holders and giving voting rights, consolidation of weak leasing companies and Modarabas. He pointed out that Institute of Financial Markets in Pakistan (IFMP) has been reshaped and new CEO has been appointed to accelerate the activities including holding of awareness session in collaboration with other financial institutions.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Walled city of Lahore authority signs agreement with Bookme.pk as an official online ticketing partner to provide a hassle-free digital experience for tourist to conveniently purchase online tickets through Bookme.pk in Lahore.

This partnership supports government agenda of promoting tourism in Pakistan. Talking on the occasion CEO, Bookme.pk – Mr. Faizan Aslam, said “Lahore has been one of the most favorite travelling destination for local and International tourist recently NY Times picks Lahore as one of the ‘top places to visit in 2021’. Bookme is proud to promote tourism in heart of Pakistan alongwith WCLA. This partnership will boosts tourist experience through smooth and seamless traveling transactions. bookme.pk has a portfolio of over 4.6 million+ customer base our aim is to ensure contactless and secure digital services.” Representing walled city of Lahore authority, Director General, Mr. Kamran Lashari said “We’re addressing the fast-evolving needs of today’s digital citizens. This partnership aims to establish a convenient and hassle-free digital ticket purchasing experience for WCLA tours and events in Lahore with a digital one-click solution for everything. Our people deserve safe and friction-free online interactions and Bookme has developed a customer-centered platform which is fit for their needs.” Bookme.pk is Pakistan’s leading e-ticketing platform with over 4.6 million customers in the transportation and entertainment industry. In terms of digital transactions, it is also among the largest e-commerce platforms in the country.

It is completely cashless and is already integrated with major payment platforms in Pakistan including JazzCash and Easypaisa to ensure a seamless checkout experience for end-users. Bookme.pk, the largest online service provider in Pakistan with up to 50+ bus service providers, 200+ airlines and 1500+ hotels. -Ends- About bookme Bookme.pk is Pakistan’s leading e-ticketing platform with over 4.6 Million customers in the transportation and travel industry. Bookme is also among the largest e-commerce platforms in the country, in terms of digital transactions.

It is completely cashless and has already integrated with major payment platforms in Pakistan including JazzCash, Easypaisa, Habib Bank Limited, Alfalah and Askari Bank to ensure a seamless checkout experience for end-users. Furthermore, Bookme.pk has a vast portfolio of 50+ bus companies, 1500+ hotels and 200+ airlines integrated on its platform.

Noon Academy, an international EdTech startup that is pioneering the concept of social learning, has expanded its online studying platform to Pakistan. They offer daily live classes for all major subjects from Pakistan’s leading teachers, completely free through their mobile application and website.

Their live classes coverall major subjects for classes 8-13 for all major local boards (Matric & Intermediate), Cambridge (O& A-Levels), and different universities’ entrance tests such as LUMS, IBA & NUST. Kickstarting its local operations in September, 2020, the platform has already grown to 200,000 students in January.

Students who are affected by the challenges post Covid-19, can prepare for their upcoming exams through comprehensive preparation courses which are taught by highly qualified teachers, completely online, accessible from the safety of their homes and adapted for the smart syllabus.

Noon Academy is one of the fastest-growing EdTech startups in the world. Currently headquartered in London, they started offin 2013 with anidea that technology can have a multiplier effect by connecting the best teachers to students anywhere. Over time through it has transformed into a social learning platform using interactive elements such as gamification, study groups, team-based learning and contests.

Pakistan’s Top Teachers for Everyone

Students from over 250 cities in Pakistan are currently studying from leading teachers of the country on the Noon Academy application. Removing the limitations of conventional offline methods possible to connect teachers and students anywhere in the country. The instructors available at Noon Academy are all highly qualified with degrees from esteemed institutions such as Harvard, INSEAD, King Edward, IBA, LUMS and more.

Noon Academy seeks to provide universal access to the highest quality of education in Pakistan.

“We want to democratize high quality education in Pakistan and empower all students to learn from teachers they like, in the way that suits them and with safety. Through our platform we want to make the best teachers in Pakistan affordable, accessible and available for all students in Pakistan and help them achieve their goals in life” said Umair Babar Chishti, Country GM Noon Academy.         

Being true to their mission, Noon Academy is also promising scholarship opportunities of PKR 1 million to deserving students.

Social Features for Engagement

Conventional education ‘pushes’ students to study by forcing them to sit inside classroom, stay quiet, and a one-size-fits-all approach. Noon Academy utilizes a different approach, ‘pulling’ students towards education by providing them with highly engaging live classes which have a healthy culture of Q&A and student participation. And a variety of classes on personal effectiveness, career counselling and life skills.

As of today, Noon Academy is operational in eight countries with over 8Million students actively using this platform. You can download the app or signup from any internet device on the website to attend their daily live classes for free.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Kreative Kinder Haus (KKH), an inclusive educational setup that primarily works for the healthy early childhood development of children on the spectrum, has launched its second branch of preschool and special needs program in DHA Phase 2 for the residents of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area.

Established in 2017 as an innovative learning space, KKH practices creative methods of individualized learning in an inclusive environment where children with autism and special needs are given an opportunity to learn and grow according to their own special needs and strengths while accepting and supporting the differences of others. With the application of its unique curriculum, KKH also works around therapies for children with learning difficulties, nurturing them to reach their full potential.

Speaking at the opening of the new branch, Sabeen Bilal, Founder and Owner, Kreative Kinder Haus, said, “It is a moment of extreme joy for me and for all of my KKH family to launch our second branch in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi vicinity and we are beyond excited to welcome new kids to our new branch. The early years of children lay the foundation for their future growth and therefore, it is important to identify their individuality and let them grow as autonomous learners. Understanding that every child is different, we at KKH give our kids a creative space to explore and experiment, while also learning to respect others.”