Category: Education

A long-serving champion of public health and the hospice movement, Mark Millar has been appointed president of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).

Mark Millar, from Suffolk, England, was named to the global role at ACCA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held entirely online for the first time ever.

Two Pakistanis have also been elected to ACCA’s global Council. Nauman Asif Mian who is currently the CFO at Bayt.com Inc, will be serving as Council Member for the first time. On the other hand, Ayla Majid, Managing Director Financial Advisory at Khalid Majid Rehman, has been re-elected. She’s been serving on the Council since 2014.

Ayla Majid was the first female to sit on the board of any stock exchange in Pakistan; she is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (WEF), most recently she was invited to the WEF’s Annual Meeting in Davos where she led a session on Global Risks. At the Global Future Council for Energy at the WEF, she is working on important initiatives to accelerate energy transition and to define potential actions to positively shape related developments.

For Ayla promoting the role of women in governance is something she is very passionate about. She said: ‘It is the need of today’s forward-looking organisation.’

Education is another important area of her focus.

Nauman Asif Mian has established himself as a leading figure in UAE’s tech sector. He has been nominated for multiple awards, such as the “Young Accountant of the Year”, and “Chartered Accountant of the Year” at the Finance & Accountancy Middle East Awards.

Commenting on his role, he said: ‘I’m excited to see what the future holds within our profession and within ACCA, especially as we see major transformations within our “world”. As part of my role on the council, I aim to be the voice for all ACCA stakeholders and help shape what it is we need from our professional body.’

Mr Millar will serve as figurehead and leader for ACCA’s 227,000 members and 544,000 future members in 176 countries. He succeeds the outgoing president, Jenny Gu.

‘This is a tremendous privilege and I am thrilled to have the honour to serve all my colleagues all around the world,’ said Mr Millar.

‘It is humbling that so many talented and dedicated professionals have placed their trust in me to serve as their president, and I look forward to representing them faithfully and well in the coming year.’

Orla Collins, interim managing director of Aberdeen Standard Investments Ireland, from Dublin, was appointed ACCA deputy president.

Joseph Owolabi, CEO of Melbourne-based green finance firm, Rubicola, is ACCA’s new vice president.

The results of elections to ACCA’s global governing Council were announced at the AGM. Sixteen members were newly elected or re-elected. They are:

Paula Kensington, Brendan Sheehan (both Australia), Joyce Evans (Canada), Matthew Wong (China), Melanie Proffitt (England), Alice Yip (Hong Kong SAR), Den Surfraz (Mauritius), Ronnie Patton (Northern Ireland), Maryam Abisola Adefarati, Babajide Ibironke (both Nigeria), Ayla Majid (Pakistan), Oxana Losevkaya (Russia), Liz Blackburn (Scotland), Kevin Fitzgerald (Singapore), Nauman Asif Mian (UAE) and Siobhan Pandya (USA).

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Famous Pakistani actor and TCF’s Goodwill Ambassador, Ayesha Omar visited a TCF school in Garden East, Karachi on Monday, where she met TCF students and staff, took a tour of the campus and learned more about TCF’s work to educate the less privileged children of Pakistan.

Ayesha alsotook this opportunity to interact with the students, who were all extremely excited to meet her. She asked them about their dreams, hope and aspirations and encouraged them to work harder towards their goals. Ayesha also engaged with the school staff and highly appreciated their efforts in continuing education for children amid the pandemic. 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) To equip students with the fastest data connectivity for distant and e-learning programs, Pakistan’s cellular and digital services leader, Zong 4G, has introduced a comprehensive data package called ‘Taleem Bundle’ for the students of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).

The signing ceremony took place at AIOU and was signed by Zong 4G’s Director Govt. and Corporate Sales & Services Mr. Farhan Zakir, and AIOU Chairman & Dean Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood signed the agreement in presence of  Moied  Javeed, Acting Chief Commercial Officer, Zong 4G and other key representatives from both the organizations.

Zong 4G’s partnership with AIOU is a testament to Zong’s relentless focus on digital inclusion for the masses and youth, an area in which Zong continues to dominate with market-leading services, products, and solutions. Zong 4G is a frontrunner of the ICT-powered digital transformation in the country helping key sectors adopt digitization and providing them with innovative tools to keep abreast with the global digital revolution. 

 “Taleem bundle is a joint venture of AIOU and Zong 4G which will enable e-learning and encourage students to benefit from distant-learning, Zong 4G is aligned with Government of Pakistan’s ambition of a Digital Pakistan and our partnership with AIOU is in-line with our commitment of enabling the country’s development through digital solutions.” said spokesperson of CMPAK Zong 4G.

The largest, widest and fastest 4G network of the country is focusing on digital inclusion and supporting students with the best data connectivity of Pakistan. The strategic collaboration will enable seamless connectivity and unmatched services to these students for an enhanced learning experience.

“We are grateful to Zong 4G for its contributions and support in developing customized data bundle for our students at a very nominal cost. Through the partnership, we aim to provide social service to those students who are from humbler backgrounds and cannot afford to access their education online.” said AIOU Dean Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood.

He added. “With over 1.4 million current student enrollments, AIOU is constantly developing professionally and is committed to progress that’s in line with the evolving global trends. With partnerships like this, we can accomplish these goals faster and more efficiently.”

Zong 4G is the leader of digital transformation in Pakistan. Being the pioneer of 4G in the country and the first mover of 5G technology in Pakistan, Zong 4G is committed to excellence and innovation.

SOT Edition XII hosts the iconic Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia in conversation with MrKasimKasuri, CEO Beaconhouse on 22 November.

SOT features 24 Live Sessions from 1 pm to 10.30 pm PK time (0800 to 1730 GMT) on 20-22 November

Former Pakistan Foreign Minister, MrKhurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former UK Minister of State for Schools, Lord Jim Knight, Asia Program Deputy Director at Wilson Center, Michael Kugelman, former UK Ambassador, Sir Tim Hitchens amongst 60 international thought leaders

SOT XII marks the 45^th Anniversary of Beaconhouse

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Beaconhouse launched the 12th edition of its Non-Profit School of Tomorrow (SOT) Events — A World of Tomorrow: From Darkness to Light featuring over 60 international thought leaders in 24 LIVE SESSIONS over three days through a series of one-on-one conversations, panel discussions, presentations, workshops and parliamentary-style debates. The 3-day virtual conference aims to answer difficult questions for a world facing challenges of the Covid 19 impact on education, economies and a safer, balanced future. The SOT Conference is especially honoured to host the iconic Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia in an exclusive interview with MrKasimKasuri, CEO Beaconhouse on 22 November.

In the opening session, KasimKasuri, CEO Beaconhouse& Chair of SOT Events, engaged in a candid conversation with students and teachers from Beaconhouse Pakistan, Malaysia, and UAE, supported by Dr Lawrence Burke, Beaconhouse’s Chief Education Advisor. The panellists discussed the potential intervention of artificial intelligence in schools, discussed the impact of Covid 19 on learning, suggesting that some positive learnings must be sustained, and stressed that schools must change in order to prepare students for a future world.

The panel session, ‘Forever the Middle Child: unpacking the ‘Forgotten Years’ of Middle School’ highlighted the need to pay equal attention to the education of middle school students, recognising a number of social, developmental, and emotional issues that emerge in adolescents. This session brought together middle school students, teachers, and parents to share personal experiences and perspectives.

Panel discussions ran concurrently on topics such as the impact of new US leadership on the world with MrKhurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Sir Tim Hitchens, former British diplomat, and MrMichael Kugelman, Deputy Director, Asia Program, Wilson Center. Workshops conducted by Mr Iain Riley and Mr Benjamin W. Decker, meditation expert, explored the development of student agency in schools and mindfulness-based interventions for children to improve cognitive performance showcasing key classroom activities.

The SOTConference paid tribute to the late Sir Ken Robinson, globally renowned thinker on learning innovation and creativity, with panellists discussing how his work has shaped global educational landscapes. The panel discussion featured Lord Jim Knight, Former UK Minister of State for Schools, Professor DrGerGraus OBE, Global Director of Education, KidZania, Mr Lee Daley, Co-Founder & Chairman, Hello Genius and MsCris Rowan, technologyspecialist.

Another highlight of Day 1 of the SOT Conference was an interview featuring Dr Roger Schank in conversation with Mr Nassir Kasuri, Executive Director of Beaconhouse. Dr Roger Schank, an artificial intelligence researcher and revisionist educator, believes that schools should not exist in their present form and is an outspoken critic of the global education system.

The School of Tomorrow conference continues to stream LIVE on November 21 and 22 on its website (www.sotevents.com) and the social media platforms Facebook and YouTube (SOT Events &Beaconhouse School System Official).

SOT Events are made possible by the generous support of corporate sponsors. The organisers gratefully acknowledge the support of United Bank Limited as the Lead Sponsor for SOT Edition XII.

The non-profit School of Tomorrow Event Series was launched in 2000 and is organised by Beaconhouse as part of its ongoing commitment to its social responsibility.

Establishes the School of Business Studies, the School of Economics and Social Sciences, and the School of Mathematics and Computer Science

 Announces Interim Deans for 3 Schools replacing Associate Deans

Schools will come into effect from January 1, 2021

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi is pleased to announce the establishment of three schools, namely the School of Business Studies (SBS), the School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS), and the School of Mathematics and Computer Science (SMCS). The Schools will come into effect from1 January 2021.

The Executive Director IBA Karachi, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, announced the names of the Interim Deans earlier today who will replace the Associate Deans of the Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), Dr. Sayeed Ghani, and the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA), Dr. Huma Baqai, once their current term ends on December 31, 2020.

Associate Professor, Dr. Wajid H. Rizvi, Professor Dr. Shakeel A. Khoja, and Professor, Dr. Asma Hyder, have been appointed as the Interim Deans of the SBS, the SMCS and the SESS respectively.

The Department of Accounting and Law, the Department of Marketing, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Management will come under the umbrella of the SBS. The SESS will house the Department of Economics, and Department of Social Sciences while the Department of Computer Science, and the Department of Mathematical Sciences will constitute the SMCS.

The setting up of the schools has been undertaken in alignment with international standards and best practices keeping in check the diversity of the programs, courses and the student body. Marking this advancement at the IBA, Dr. Zaidi highlighted, “This is an important development in the way we want to envisage the IBA in the coming years with a specialized focus, increased output (offering of programs and course) and a competitive environment”.

As part of the academic restructuring, the defunct Office of the Registrar was revamped in August with the appointment of Dr. Muhammad Asad Ilyas, Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting and Law, as the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will serve as a focal point for students, Faculty and staff members in enhancing the academic life of the IBA by developing innovative processes and immaculate support services aligned with the changing needs of the IBA community.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Students of Architectural Photography at the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC) displayed their photography work as part of the courses taught at the institute. 

IAC that promotes a unique pedagogical narrative instigates creative and interdisciplinary thought process which was evident in their photography exhibit led by Ms. Kainat Thebo.

A total of 20 students from the School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism (SADU) gave a new perspective to understanding the silence behind the visuals we see every day. The main discourse of this work focused on deconstruction and construction of the traditional methodology of understanding visuals and indulging in a deeper relationship between human thought, language, architecture and visuals.

The exhibit displayed work of 20 students Sherdil, Reha Shkeel, Spogmai Maken, Umer Farooq, Kamar Abbas and Zargham Faisal who revealed that photography or visuals are not just limited to what we see around ourselves but in the discourse, that lies beneath those apparent illusionary visuals.

Moreover, students from school of Arts (SOA) displayed an exhibition of their work focused on different types of Photography. The exhibition was arranged under the leadership of Dr Saadia Pasha.

Mr Yasir Khan, CEO MYK Studios and his assistant Fatima Gul designed and taught this course at IAC to help students understand, explore and apply manifold techniques of photography.

The gallery displays the work of students who showcased their work on themes such as editorial photography, advertising photography, documentary photography, crystal ball photography, forced perspective photography and fine art photography.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi received a cheque of PKR 4.25 million from Bank Alfalah Limited, under the ‘Alfalah Islamic Scholarship Program’. With this initiative, scholarships will be provided to five talented and deserving students of the IBA Karachi for their first year of education in order to make access to higher education easier and without financial constraints.

At the ceremony, the IBA Karachi was represented by the Executive Director IBA, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Director Alumni Affairs and Corporate Relations, Mrs. Malahat Awan, and Director National Talent Hunt Program (NTHP), Dr. Junaid Alam Khan. Bank Alfalah was represented by Group Head – Islamic Banking, Dr. Muhammad Imran, Head Cross Sell Liabilities and Product Management, Mr. Salman Ghaffar, Business HR Partner, Mr. Adeel Khan, and Unit Head Products and New Initiatives, Mr. Saqib Zia.

Bank Alfalah met with the team along with the five students from remote areas, whom they shall be sponsoring, and expressed their happiness at partnering with the IBA to support the noble cause.

The NTHP was launched in 2004 with the objective to prepare high achieving students belonging to the less-privileged regions of the country for the IBA’s undergraduate programs’ aptitude test. Once enrolled at the IBA, these students are provided need-based scholarships for the entire duration of their respective programs.

Keeping in view, the economic impact of the pandemic in the country, the IBA Karachi has beefed up its financial assistance program to Rs. 380 million, a 25% increase from last year, which will benefit more than 1200 needy students. The financial assistance program at the IBA is supported by philanthropic organizations, corporates, alumni and individual donors.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Three Shell Tameer entrepreneurs from Pakistan have each taken home one of the 2020 Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Awards, a global competition that rewards businesses that demonstrate excellence in innovation and gives entrepreneurs a chance to shine on a global platform.

This year, Shell LiveWIRE has partnered again with Shell Global Commercial to deliver a competition focused on Creating a More Liveable World. Three separate award categories within this theme have been identified: Energy Transition, Environment & Circular Economy, and Local Prosperity.

The winner of each category took home a top prize of $20,000, and the two runners-up from each category received a prize of $10,000. In addition, the judges awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award of $10,000 to an enterprise that has significantly contributed to combatting the socio-economic impacts of Covid-19, as part of Shell’s commitment to respond to changing global needs. The award package for all ten winners also included mentoring support from a Shell expert, the opportunity to benefit from Shell market linkages and the possibility to be considered as a vendor to Shell or Shell’s customers.

The winners faced stiff competition, with Shell receiving 136 applications from 15 countries around the world. Twenty-one finalists then had to compete in a public vote, which drew in more than 27,000 votes from over 170 countries.
 
“Congratulations to the winners. I’m truly impressed by the quality and creativity of the entries,” said Carlos Maurer, Executive Vice President, Shell Global Commercial. “In business and in life, we need the innovators and those with passion and drive to solve the problems posed by an increasingly complex world and the multiple challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.  I’m glad the winners will receive not just a cash prize, but access to senior Shell experts for mentoring support.  Shell was founded on a culture of innovation and ingenuity, and we want to see the Top Ten Innovators’ technologies and solutions thrive in the years to come.”

Habib Haider – Head of External Relations, Shell Pakistan Limited said, “We’re thrilled to see all three of our applicants from Pakistan take home the Top Ten Innovators prize. This is a great opportunity not only to highlight these entrepreneurs globally but also showcases the talent and innovation we see every day across Pakistan.”

The complete list of the 2020 Top Ten Innovators finalists are as follows:

 

Business	Country	Business Summary
Energy Transition
Winner
BIONIKA	Indonesia	Bionika’s integrated biogas technology helps rural communities access affordable clean energy by transforming waste into electricity.
Runners-up
Deyang Xinsenyuan Technology Co.	China	Deyang Xinsenyuan Technology Co. produces biomass pellets from agricultural waste products, to replace coal and oil.
ENENT	Pakistan	ENENT is a clean-tech electronics start-up focused on designing innovative products that can reduce electricity bills and power loss by up to 20%.
Environment & Circular Economy
Winner
Aqua Agro	Pakistan	Aqua Agro uses Artificial Intelligence and innovative technology to enhance productivity and water savings for farmers.
Runners-up
Qutra	Oman	Qutra’s irrigation device irrigates plants in line with soil moisture levels, to reduce excess water consumption by up to 85%.
Soular	Trinidad & Tobago	Soular uses sunlight to transform highly perishable agricultural produce into nutritious shelf-stable snacks.
Local Prosperity
Winner
Safe Drinking Water for All – SDW	Brazil	SDW’s breakthrough technologies save lives by democratising access to clean water and sanitation.
Runners-up
Kunde Social Café	Kazakhstan	Kunde Cafe provides training and employment for adults with mental disabilities at their restaurant in Kazakhstan.
SIBBAP Multipurpose Cooperative	Philippines	SIBBAP Multipurpose Cooperative provides skills training to locals on the production of frontline medical garments.
Outstanding Achievement
EDVON	Pakistan	EDVON develops STEAM curricula and DIY robotics kits for K-12 students. Their Corona-fighting robot improves sanitation and compliance in healthcare settings.

 

The 2020 Top Ten Innovators judging panel included: Anna Mascolo, President, Shell Aviation; Rob Kaplan, Founder & CEO at Circulate Capital; Nate Nasralla, Director of Global Partnerships at the Global Accelerator Network (GAN); and Mostafa Elnaby, 2019 Top Ten Innovators winner and founder of Baramoda.

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) During the Huawei ICT Competition 2019–2020 Global Final, Huawei held the Datacom Certification Global Launch Conference with the theme of “Datacom Connects the Future” at the Huawei Base, Songshan Lake, Dongguan on November 11. Huawei Datacom Certification is a set of standards for cultivating Datacom talent. In the next three years, Huawei aims to certify 150,000 Datacom engineers, increasing the size of the Datacom network talent ecosystem and shaping the future of intelligent IP networks.

As digital transformation proceeds, companies are posed with new requirements for networks and network architecture. To meet the demand for new network talent and adapt to the changing capability model for network practitioners, Huawei is developing a set of talent cultivation standards based on its extensive experience leading the data communication industry.

Huawei Datacom Certification is an upgrade of the previous Routing & Switching Certification, featuring advanced technologies, various fields, comprehensive capabilities, and practical skills. It not only provides knowledge about traditional routing and switching technologies, but also delivers the cultivation solution (which combines Huawei’s Datacom network solution and new technologies). Certified professionals will be able to plan, deploy, operate, maintain, and optimize networks in different scenarios.

Advanced technology: Huawei Datacom Certification includes knowledge about cutting-edge Datacom network technologies, such as SDN, VXLAN, SR/SRv6, and network programming and automation.

Various fields: This certification covers various Datacom fields such as campus networks, WAN, and SD-WAN.

Comprehensive capabilities: This certification focuses on how technologies can be applied to real-world scenarios. Certified professionals will be able to design, deploy, operate, maintain, and optimize networks.

Practical skills: The project-oriented certification is developed with reference to the development trends of the Datacom network and the network construction needs of companies. As such, certified professionals will be able to meet industry needs.
Kevin Hu, President of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, delivered a speech at the conference. He commented that, the digital transformation of enterprises imposes new requirements on ICT infrastructure. Huawei has upgraded the intelligent IP network solution. We have reconstructed the hardware and software, upgraded the three-layer architecture (super capacity, intelligent connectivity, and intelligent O&M), and proposed the “Four Engines” brand strategy (CloudEngine switches, NetEngine routers, AirEngine Wi-Fi 6 ACs and APs, and HiSecEngine security gateways). By cooperating with partners and customers, we have developed scenario-based solutions to provide new momentum for the intelligent connectivity of everything. We also set Datacom talent standards to grow the talent ecosystem and build a new future of intelligent IP networks.
To build a prosperous Datacom network talent ecosystem in collaboration with customers and partners, over the next three years, Huawei will organize 10 Datacom competitions, develop 30 excellent online courses and textbooks on Datacom networks, hold 30 online forums, and certify 150,000 Datacom engineers.

The Huawei Datacom Certification is classified into three levels:

HCIA–Datacom, HCIP–Datacom, and HCIE–Datacom. The HCIA–Datacom certification aims to develop network engineers with entry-level Datacom knowledge and skills.

The HCIP–Datacom certification has one core technical direction (HCIP–Datacom–Core Technology) and six optional sub-directions (HCIP–Datacom–Advanced Routing & Switching Technology, HCIP–Datacom–Campus Network Planning and Deployment, HCIP–Datacom–WAN Planning and Deployment, HCIP–Datacom–SD–WAN Planning and Deployment, HCIP–Datacom–Enterprise Network Solution Design, and HCIP–Datacom–Network Automation Developer). The HCIP–Datacom certification is designed for aspirants who want to become senior engineers in the field of cross-domain solution planning and design or single-domain planning and deployment.

The HCIE–Datacom certification aims to cultivate network experts with theoretical knowledge of solutions and the ability to deploy networks across domains.

To date, HCIA–Datacom, HCIP–Datacom–Advanced Routing & Switching Technology, and HCIP–Datacom–Network Automation Developer certifications have been released, and other certifications are set for release in 2021. By Q4 2021, the Huawei Datacom Certification will completely replace the Routing & Switching Certification.