Category: Education

Beaconhouse launches its first fully virtual SOT Conference with

Over 60 international thought leaders in 21 live sessions on July 10-12

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Beaconhouse is launching its first fully virtual School of Tomorrow (SOT) Conference: A World of Tomorrow: Negotiating a Better Future on July 10-12, 2020, made possible by the generous support of lead sponsor UBL. Targeting a global audience of over 500,000 people, the SOT seeks to understand how Covid-19 is shaping important global conversations about safer and more balanced futures, as well as pushing educators to reimagine the future of education at both school and university levels.

The conference opens with a special message by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization. The Federal Minister of Education, Shafqat Mahmood, and Sindh Minister of School Education, Saeed Ghani, are amongst key Pakistani speakers. Global participants include Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s Head of Education & Skills, Carla Rinaldi, President Fondazione Reggio Children, and Lord Jim Knight, UK’s former Minister of State for Schools along with 2 other members of UK’s House of Lords, Lord David Puttnam and Baroness Nosheena Mobarik, a life peer of Pakistani origin. Other key speakers include Professor Maggie Atkinson, former Children’s Commissioner for England and Dr Siva Kumari, Director General of the International Baccalaureate Organization, amongst many others.

The 3-day virtual conference is anchored on the idea of a ‘brave new world’ being shaped by our response to the pandemic and will be streamed live on www.sotevents.com along with Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and is primarily aimed at parents, educators and policy-makers. Registration is free of cost for all.

Speaking about the conference, Kasim Kasuri, Event Chair and CEO of Beaconhouse, said “The present crisis presents an unprecedented opportunity to us to reimagine the kind of future we truly want, and what we need to do to get there.”

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

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

 

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and Institute of Cost Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA Pakistan) have now joined forces by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly train the public sector professionals in Pakistan on IPSAS®, the international accrual-based accounting standards, to enhance the quality, consistency and transparency of public sector financial reporting in Pakistan and help rebuild the public trust.

The announcement was made at a Virtual MoU signing ceremony on the theme ‘’The Importance of Strengthening of Public Sector Institutions’. The ceremony was attended by senior members of both the professional bodies, as well as by senior public sector leaders including Abdul Ghafoor Khan, Rector, Pakistan Audit & Accounts Academy, Dr Jawad Zaka Khan, Deputy Military Accountant General Pakistan, Sumaira K Aslam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Umar Banoori, DG Accounts, Controller General of Accounts Pakistan, Zia Ul Mustafa, President, ICMA Pakistan, and Sajjeed Aslam, Head of ACCA Pakistan.

Under this partnership, a certificate in IPSAS, will be delivered jointly by ACCA and ICMA Pakistan to finance professionals working in the public sector or aspiring to join the sector in the near future. 

Speaking at the event, ACCA’s Head of Pakistan, Sajjeed Aslam, said,

“The Public Sector is facing a dizzying array of challenges, from declining public trust to technological disruption, that require innovative responses. The current pandemic has added an unprecedented pressure on the sector to deliver public services in the most effective manner. Therefore, there’s an urgent need for radical reforms and improved capacity. ACCA as a global force for public good is delighted to have signed this MOU with ICMA Pakistan. This is just another example of our commitment to strengthening the public sector in Pakistan, working in partnership with all the stakeholders, and upholding the public trust in the accountancy profession.”

Addressing the ceremony, Zia Ul Mustafa, President, ICMA Pakistan, said:

“ICMA Pakistan is pleased to partner with ACCA to train public sector organisations in IPSAS with the goal of improving transparency and accountability, as well as the adoption of an accrual-based public financial reporting framework. The objectives are to be met by strengthening existing financial institutions within the Government of Pakistan and delivering knowledge to public sector accountants while developing the country’s public sector accountancy capacity. This MoU with the objective of enhancing public financial management will assist public sector set ups in gearing up to meet the new demands of the augmented role of the public sector organisations in providing development finance solutions for effective performance.”

Issued by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB), IPSAS® are cash-based standards and accruals standards used for the preparation of general purpose financial statements by governments and other public sector entities around the world.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Through the medium of a remote virtual event, Huawei Pakistan and the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIK) formalized their Industry-academia partnership. Both parties took part in an official signing ceremony, with the event solidifying the creation of a four year BS degree in Artificial Intelligence partnered by Huawei.

The program is the first such partnership and serves as a milestone in an already successful four-year-long partnership that started with the establishment of the Huawei ICT Academy at GIK in 2016.

GIK is known throughout the country as a prestigious institution for studies in engineering, and Huawei Technologies leads the world in the ICT industry. In the nature of this collaboration, GIK, with Huawei’s support, has designed the curriculum, theory, and lab courses. GIK will be authorized to use Huawei AI learning resources under the qualified instructors who will be enabled through the ‘Train the Trainer’ program.

Through this process, it is planned that the students will learn theory, gain practical experience with a global outlook, have their Huawei career certifications, and be granted ample job opportunities.

The event was attended by leading figures within both Huawei and GIK like Mr. Farid Rahman, President GIK Board of Governors and SOPREST, Mr. Jehangir Bashar, Rector GIK, Mr. Shakil Durrani, Executive Director, SOPREST, Mr. Mark Meng, CEO Huawei Pakistan and Mr. SpaceLee, VP Huawei Middle East, along with other esteemed members from both sides.

Mr. Farid Rehman, President, GIK Board of Governors and SOPREST, remarked that “this partnership provides the next and higher level of collaboration, which he hopes will strengthen the mutual cooperation in the field of AI between the two organizations.”

Continuing the sentiment, Mr. Mark Meng, CEO Huawei Pakistan shared his thoughts, mentioning that Huawei will “share the best AI knowledge with GIK” and that “students will have the opportunity to be linked to the industry. Huawei & GIK have joined hands to make this initiative run successfully.”

Mr. Shakil Durrani, Executive Director SOPREST, also commended the efforts of GIK and collaboration by Huawei that will go a long way in the creation of high tech human resources in Pakistan. Through this agreement, both the organizations aim to benefit from their strengths and share their expertise in the field of a modern discipline of Artificial Intelligence.

Mr. Jehangir Bashar, Rector GIK, shared his optimistic remarks about the program, stating that “Huawei has always been one of the top ICT companies in the world, GIK is recognized internationally, it would be a good fit, and thus we have the GIK BS in AI-Partnered by Huawei.”

VP of the Huawei Middle East, Mr. SpaceLee, said that “AI can be used to improve all major industries, bringing forth the new future. AI, 5G & Cloud will reconstruct the world. GIK is a pioneer to be partnered with Huawei on such industry-academia cooperation for AI.”

The online event was broadcasted live at noon on the social media channels of both Huawei Pakistan and GIK, reaching more than 25,000 people across both platforms.

The partnership was established in December of 2019 when both parties signed an MoU to launch a pilot undergraduate degree program for Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan. Huawei will be sharing its AI research and achievements with the faculty and students of GIK for them to benefit from the latest technologies to improve the value of academic education.

With the success of the degree program in Artificial Intelligence, Huawei and GIK look forward to future cooperation in the fields of intelligent computing and cloud computing and so on. Through such programs, Huawei and GIK institute shall support the regional information and communication technology education, share knowledge, and create more opportunities.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The IBA Karachi is pleased to announce the launch of Master of Science in Data Science program commencing in August 2020, which comprises of 4 semesters with a total of 30 credit hours. The MS leading to the PhD program will allow the students to opt for a thesis alongside their course work. 

The program designed by the Faculty of Computer Science (FCS) is aimed to facilitate students with non-Computer Science background as well and foundation level courses will be offered to enable students to come at par with their peers. 

The academic rigour coupled with experiential learning will prepare the students in the field of machine learning, statistics and big data analytics. Chairperson, Department of Computer Science, Dr Shakeel Khoja elaborated that the program offers clear understanding in areas of statistical modelling, management of massive data sets, data visualization, software engineering and data ethics. “The program prepares students to extract valuable insights from data, and offers rigorous training to handle problems of big data,” said Dr Khoja.

Commenting on the program launch, Executive Director, IBA, Dr S Akbar Zaidi said, “The advancement in artificial intelligence, communications and robotics across the globe has led to the high demand of data scientists. Although Pakistan lies at the onset of this development, an increasing need is being felt in the software industry and service sectors like financial institutions, telecommunication organizations, healthcare providers and multi-nationals to produce trained workforce.” Dr Zaidi highlighted that this market-driven program would set a new benchmark for other universities. 

With the addition of Data Science program, the IBA Karachi is now offering 9 graduate programs alongside 6 undergraduate and 3 postgraduate programs. The admission to various programs for Fall 2020 is currently open.

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) In continuation of its efforts to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, Telenor Pakistan has offered free LinkedIn learning licenses to 1,000 eligible applicants on first come first serve basis. This will help the job seekers benefit from the resources and opportunities available online to enhance their skills and seek relevant employment opportunities. Telenor Pakistan will also open up its library of online learning courses and trainings via this platform. This initiative aims to equip professionals with the evolving skill set requirements and enable students to develop their skills aligned with the needs of the future organizations.

A selection of over 15,000 courses on LinkedIn Learning along with Telenor Pakistan’s online courses are made available with separate learning paths for people out of work, those who need to upskill themselves to retain their jobs and students. To ensure the professionals continue to strengthen their skills, a comprehensive range of courses and trainings are available on important digital competencies and each learning path is carefully curated by subject matter experts from Telenor. For students, it has been a challenging time especially to enter the job market therefore, learning from experts via LinkedIn Learning aims to improve their skills and give them an edge while applying for jobs.

“To help our fellow citizens to the best of our capacity, we are pleased to offer LinkedIn Learning licenses and open our library of online trainings to ensure those looking for employment opportunities stay relevant and equipped with the skill set of the future”, said Øystein Bakken, Chief Human Resources Officer, Telenor Pakistan. “Online learning has become a part of the new norm and we are pleased to provide this opportunity to help develop some of the most sought-after skills that will enhance the jobseekers’ portfolio in the long run.”

During this time, when navigating through the job market has become particularly challenging, Telenor Pakistan has offered this learning opportunity so job seekers may improve their career prospects. This effort is in continuation of its pledge of PKR 1.6 billion towards COVID 19 relief efforts. To find out more about the eligibility criteria and application process, please visit: https://www.telenor.com.pk/linkedin-learning-license/

Research from ACCA and PwC shows two thirds of organisations need to embed finance business partnering further into strategy and decision making

Companies are being urged to look beyond the financial imperative as economies around the world look to kickstart as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Finance Insights – Reimagined, a new report from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and PwC, surveyed more than 3,400 firms on the changing role of the finance professional and how they can influence companies’ future direction.

The report highlights the greater focus on the finance business partner (FBP): individuals, or a group of individuals, who are the conduit between finance and its stakeholders. It outlines how they can help companies navigate turbulent economic times.

Results show finance business partnering was a proactive role in organisations, a fundamental part of decision-making and strategy. However, only 37% reported that it was truly embedded and that the remaining 63% are compromising their agility to support and influence business decision-making at this critical time.

The report outlines the FBP will be more commonplace than other finance roles as a result of automation and process efficiency. It also envisages the role of the partner will become more strategic and collaborative to support operational decision-making across the organisation.

Clive Webb, senior insights manager at ACCA, says finance business partnering is a key consideration for firms seeking survival and a more sustainable future ahead of an impending recession.

He said: ‘There is a temptation in responding to the COVID-19 events, as organisations and economies seek to recover, that the sole focus is on the financial imperative.

‘This approach could ignore the dangers society will continue to face and may lead to narrow responses to broader issues that are connected to the financial performance. To respond to this, accountancy and finance professionals need to have a robust skill set and must show they can play an ever-important role in driving business performance.’

Mr Webb concluded: ‘The two most valued aspects in the role were the support of business strategy and the analysis of current performance; this suggests that finance professionals might not yet be achieving the forward-looking view on which the future of the finance function depends.

‘The six hypotheses generated in this report allow businesses, both large and small, to explore the opportunity for finance insights and the role of business partners in generating sustainable value creation.’

Brian Furness, Partner at PwC, underlined the importance of the six capitals identified in the report in future planning.

He said: ‘The six capitals – financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, social and responsible, and natural – which are outlined in the report, provide a unique framework to evaluate how any finance function is performing.‘In response to COVID-19, and by using this framework, CFO’s will be able to make sense out of the current situation, and plan successfully for the future.’ 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Microsoft Corp. on Tuesdayannounced anew global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to25 million people worldwide by the end of the year.

The announcement comes in response to the global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanded access to digital skills is an important step in accelerating economic recovery, especially for the people hardest hit by job losses.

This initiative, detailed on the Official Microsoft Blog, includes immediate steps to help those looking to reskill and pursue an in-demand job andbrings together every part of the company, combining existing and new resources from LinkedIn, GitHub and Microsoft. Thisincludes:

• Data and analytics.Using data to understand the skills and jobsmost in-demand and therefore likely to lead to good career opportunities.
• Free learning resources.Offer access to free learningpaths through the end of 2020, and free content from across Microsoft, LinkedIn and GitHub,to helppeopledevelop the skills needed for these in-demand jobs.
• Connecting skills to opportunities. Providing low-cost access to industry-recognized certifications through the end of the year andfree access to powerfuljob-seeker tools that will help people get hired once they have the skills and certifications.
• These resources can be accessed at a central location,opportunity.linkedin.com, and will be broadly available online in four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

Microsoft is backing the effort with $20 million in cash grants to help nonprofit organizations worldwide assist those who need it most, including people with lower income, lower educational attainment and underrepresented minorities. One-quarter of this total, or $5 million, will be provided in cash grants to 50 community-based nonprofit organizations led by and serving communities of color in the United States.

The company is also pledging to make stronger data and analytics— including data from the LinkedIn Economic Graph —available to governments around the world so they can better assess local economic needs.

Microsoft will use itsvoice to advocate for public policy innovations that will advance skilling opportunities needed in the changed economy.

Later this year, Microsoft will preview a new learning app in Microsoft Teams designed to help employers skill and upskill new and current employees as people return to work and as the economy adds jobs.

“COVID-19 has created both a public health and an economic crisis, and as the world recovers, we need to ensure no one is left behind,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “Today, we’re bringing together resources from Microsoft inclusive of LinkedIn and GitHub to reimagine how people learn and apply new skills – and help 25 million people facing unemployment due to COVID-19 prepare for the jobs of the future.”

“Within only a few months, COVID-19 has provoked a massive demand shock, setting off job losses that far exceed the scale of the Great Recession a decade ago,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith. “A key step in accelerating economic recovery – and ensuring that recovery is inclusive – is to provide easier access to digital skills for those hardest hit by job losses, including people with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities.”

“Creating opportunity for every member of the global workforce drives everything we do at LinkedIn,” said LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky. “As a part of the Microsoft ecosystem, we have the unique ability to help job seekers around the world – especially those who have been disproportionately disadvantaged during the COVID-19 crisis – gain the skills and find the jobs they deserve. We’re proud to be bringing the right data about what the jobs and skills of the future will be to create the right learning paths to help 25 million job seekers find their next opportunities. We’re making it all available at opportunity.linkedin.com.”

More information can be found at the Microsoft microsite news.microsoft.com/skills.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) In continuation to its commitment to stand by the citizens of Pakistan during COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s leading telecommunication network, Zong 4G has partnered with Virtual University (VU) of Pakistan to support 80,000 students with seamless connectivity for e-learning.

The objective of the new collaboration between Zong 4G and VU is to transform the current education network in Pakistan and to offer students a service experience that meets the expectations of the digital society and facilitate e-learning. Zong 4G will provide VU students with the best affordable internet packages ranging from 50 GB to 75 GB as per the recommendation of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Leveraging on the widest connectivity of Pakistan, the new offer includes competitive packages to provide the students with unhindered and fast access to internet, all in one bundle.

“The connection between students and teachers is at the heart of quality education and that connection and engagement must persist, regardless of our physical settings. With so many of us working and learning from home, Zong 4G recognizes this new education paradigm, with the potential for fluid, student-centered learning, and the fact that the new system heavily depends upon seamless connectivity. Through this new partnership with VU, Zong 4G is playing its due role in facilitating the learning process and have offered our unmatched services to VU students for an enhanced learning experience”, said a company spokesperson.

Expressing his views on the new partnership, VU spokesperson said that the integral role of education in our society is undeniable. “Due to COVID-19, governments, companies & educational institutions activated remote work protocols, instructing people to stay home and practice social distancing. Online learning methods were put into effect by many educational institutions somewhat similar to the Virtual University model. In one swift motion, educational institutions and boardrooms morphed into remote desks and workplaces; smart applications into digital classrooms and video conferences superseded physical ones. This transition, for the most part, was seamless thanks to its underpinning technology, the internet. The appetite for bandwidth has gone into overdrive and our partnership with Zong 4G will ensure that the connection between students and teachers is maintained while they are unable to go to one of the many campuses across the country due to this pandemic”, he added.

In its fight against COVID-19, Pakistan’s largest and widest 4G network provider, Zong 4G is working closely with local governments in all provinces and has also partnered with UNICEF Pakistan, NDMA, PRCS, SIUT, Indus Hospital, NIH and HEC, thus playing an integral role.