Category: Education

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Microsoft Pakistan today announced the Pakistan winners of Imagine Cup2020 at at Pak-China Friendship Center, Islamabad. Imagine Cup is a Global competition for students aged 16+. For nearly two decades, students from around the world have participated in Microsoft’s global technology competition to bring their unique tech solutions to life.Throughout the Imagine Cup competition, Microsoft Pakistan continues to foster innovation among students and enables them to transform their ambitions into reality. 

The Imagine Cup Pakistan winner With a clear vision the winning team from NUST – Flowlines (aka.ms/flowlines), their idea to use augmented reality to connect it’s users with the physical world was the winner among 60 finalist teams from across the country.

Congratulating the winners of this year’s national finals Dr Tariq Banuri; Chairman HEC said “Imagine Cup is all about innovation, transformation and what comes next. Imagine cup continues to cultivate a spirit of social and technological entrepreneurship, empowering students to use their creativity to address real societal problems through technology. We have seen extremely innovative ideas coming in and the students who have been participating especially in the imagine cup and so many of them have gone on to establish their own startups that are now becoming multimillion dollar companies. I am proud of our students for participating in this Global event and I am sure they will bring laurels for Pakistan”.

The team will now represent Pakistan at the upcoming regional semifinals in Amsterdam, Holland,to compete among global teams for over USD20,000 total in prizing, Azure credits, plus the top two will win spots to advance to the 2020 Imagine Cup World Championship! During their Regional Final journey, teams will also have the chance to participate in an Entrepreneurship Day from the U.S. Department of Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) to refine their business pitches, receive mentorship from Microsoft experts, and experience cutting-edge technical innovation at Microsoft Ignite the Tour. Also traveling to Amsterdam with the Imagine Cup team will be the Microsoft Student Partner(MSP) , Yaqoob Jamal from NUST, to take part in MSP summit where he will join other MSPs from the region to talk about various aspects of technology and how these programs can be  incorporated  in Universities.  

Microsoft Pakistan: An outstanding participation across the region  Microsoft Imagine Cup continues to witness strong participation from Pakistan, as well as world over., as an initiative of the Strategic Partnership with HEC; Microsoft Pakistan & HEC reached out to more than 100 campuses this year through multiple outreach campaigns in a bid to create awareness around the competition and effectively market it to the audience, which resulted in record breaking project entries (600+)in this competition, almost double the number from 2019.

HEC’s commitment to the academia and students is reflected as Microsoft drives the Imagine Cup to highlight Pakistan’s position on the leader boards – Thus, Pakistan ranks as the top country in the World, with the highest number of project submissions and competitors in Imagine Cup. A lot of remote and underprivileged areas weretar geted specifically in the drive for Imagine Cup, particularly Hyderabad,Jamshoro, Sukkur and Quetta. Students were initially evaluated in Regional finals, held in different cities and the best teams competed to win the National Finals.

The winning teams showcased their innovative thinking,technical skills and ground-breaking solutions to address everyday challenges. Country Manager Microsoft Pakistan  Shahzad Khan said “The talent we have in Pakistan is phenomenal and competitions like Imagine Cup only help to highlight this raw talent and give them a platform to reach the global community. Our focus should be to produce skillful, technically enabled and certified graduates to meet the global market needs for engineering talent “ Senior Education Director for Microsoft Middle East & Africa Harb Bou-Harb added “As Microsoft we strive to bring the right set of tools and technology to students to expose them to the skills required for the future of work. 

The way we look at our students, we feel that they are the agents of change and they just need the right set of tools to succeed. As a technology company we want to empower our students and enable them to shape their future “ Imagine Cup is one of Microsoft’s many efforts to transform skill development, nurture budding technologists and foster collaborative and innovative spirit.  This global technology competition boasts of several success stories emerging from the competition. It’s a great platform to innovate, get recognized and eventually get enabled to bring about a positive change.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)The much-awaited Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), organized by Oxford University Press, is all set to celebrate its 11^th edition this year from 28 February to 1 March 2020. The overarching theme of this year’s festival is ‘Across Continents: How the Word Travels’ which will explore different aspects of the trans-geographical nature of literature.

Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan, shared details of the 11^th KLF in a press conference held at the Arts Council of Pakistan. He said that over 200 speakers and authors from Pakistan, UK, USA, France, Germany, and Italy will participate in the event.

There will be over 80 sessions featuring talks, panel discussions, Urdu and English mushaira, readings, performing arts, and film screenings. Around 22 books will be launched at the festival this year. Of special significance at the 11^th KLF is a session planned for performance poetry and a workshop on ‘Media Literacy and Misinformation’. This year an art exhibition titled ‘Ahang: Peaceful Protest against Warfare around the Globe’ will showcase video installations and new media art.

Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Saeed Husain said, “The 11^th KLF will feature a number of sessions that will look at how the written and spoken word connects across borders and results in a cross-pollination of ideas and inspiration for literary works. The festival aims to bring together not only the stalwarts of Pakistan’s literary world and academia, but also some of the most creative minds beyond Pakistan’s border.” He further added, “Through its vibrant programme, the festival celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity.”

Arshad Saeed Husain announced that William Dalrymple and Zaheda Hina will be the keynote speakers at the KLF inauguration while Ahdaf Soueif and Harris Khalique will deliver the keynote speeches at the closing ceremony.

Alexandre Colliex, Claire Chambers, David Waterman, George Fulton, Harriet Sandys, Julien Columeau, Massimo Ramaioli, Sadia Abbas, Sean Pue, Victoria Schofield, Jochen Hippler, and Bettina Robotka are some of the international names participating in the festival.

The local literary luminaries, academics, and artistes to be featured in the 11^th KLF include Adnan Siddiqui, Ahmed Shah, Ally Adnan, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Arieb Azhar, Asad Mohammad Khan, Asad Umar, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Atiqa Odho, Attiya Dawood, Azhar Abbas, Beo Zafar, Bushra Ansari, Faisal Subzwari, Faseeh Bari Khan, Fawzia Afzal Khan, Faysal Quraishi, Ghazi Salahuddin, Hafiz Pasha, Hamna Zubair, Haseena Moin, Huma Baqai, Ikram Sehgal, Ishrat Husain, Javed Jabbar, Kaif Ghaznavi, Kaiser Bengali, Kamal Azfar, Khaled Anam, Khalid Ahmad, Kishwar Naheed, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Mazhar Abbas, Mubashir Zaidi, Mushaal Hussein Mullick, Nadeem Farooq Paracha, Navid Shahzad, Neelum Ahmad Basheer, Niilofur Farrukh, Noorul Huda Shah, Omar Shahid, Hamid, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pirzada Qasim, Reza Baqir, Sabyn Javeri, Sanam Saeed, Sardar Masood Khan, Sarmad Khoosat, Shamshad Akhtar, Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui, Sohail Malik, Taha Kehar, Wusatullah Khan, Zafar Hilaly, and Zehra Nigah.

While talking to the media, Arshad Saeed Husain mentioned that this year four prizes will be awarded from the KLF forum. These include the KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize, KLF-Habib Metro Non-Fiction Prize, KLF-Infaq Foundation Urdu Literature Prize and KLF – Arts Council Sindhi & Balochi Prize. The submissions received for these prizes are evaluated by panels of jury members comprising eminent critics, writers, and scholars. Books shortlisted for the KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize were announced at the press conference, which include Call Me Al by Sheheryar Sheikh, The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali by Uzma Aslam Khan, Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif, and The Selected Works of Abdullah the Cossack by H M Naqvi. 

While sharing his views at the press conference, Salman Tarik Kureshi, poet, columnist, and member of the KLF Advisory Board, said, “The theme for this year’s KLF takes us beyond this city, or even the country, to reflect upon the fact that literature, culture, and intellectual scholarship are international phenomena, which travel across continents faster than the click of a mouse, and are not restricted by national or ethnic borders.” 

The KLF Advisory Board members include Muneeza Shamsie, Mujahid Barelvi, Iftikhar Arif, Harris Khalique, Salman Tarik Kureshi, Bina Shah, and Michael Houlgate, some of whom were present on the occasion. Other eminent literary figures also attended the press conference.

The 11th Karachi Literature Festival will take place at the Beach Luxury Hotel. Following in its decade old tradition, the festival will be free and open to public.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Enablers has set up its very first Incubation Center in UMT, Lahore as a part of Enablers 2020 Vision. MOU has been signed between the management of UMT and Enablers, and both parties are all set to go.

Enablers’ 2020 Vision is to discover future possibilities and Enable people of Pakistan. The CEO of Enablers, Mr. Saqib Azhar aims to create 2 MILLION jobs in three years. To progress further towards his goal, Enablers has planned to establish incubations centers in all universities of Pakistan for empowering our youth.

With the progress of the eCommerce industry in Pakistan, the demand for individuals who can provide administrative support has also been increased. To meet this demand and to achieve the goal of creating 2 Million Jobs in three years, Enablers has come up with the innovative idea of creating incubation centers at universities all over Pakistan where Enablers’ Amazon and eCommerce experts will share their knowledge and experience with the students and help them discover facts about the biggest International eCommerce Platform, Amazon.

University students are more zestful, dreaming to achieve big goals in their life. But there are not many opportunities out there in the market, and even if they manage to get a job, it will not be according to their caliber. Fresh graduates and Masters lack experience because of their studies due to which finding a good job for them is quite difficult.

Well, if you are a university student and worried about your future, then Enablers is here to rescue you!

Enablers plan to set up Incubation Centers in universities for the convenience of students. In these centers, students will get the most up-to-date and advanced training sessions under the supervision of Enablers’ Amazon experts and successful Amazon sellers, without causing any hindrance in their studies. They will train bachelors and postgraduates about building their own Amazon FBA business and how to be a virtual assistant so that in the future, they can provide freelancing services.

This training will help students to start freelancing jobs along with studies, stand on their own feet, help them in their future endeavors, and assist them in getting highly paid Amazon-related jobs in the future. Not only this, but they can also build their own Amazon FBA business in the future or become a member of the Enablers team, helping Enablers Team in enabling others like them.

Right now, Enablers has set up its first incubation center at UMT, but looking at the motivation of Enablers Team, we are sure that soon their incubation centers will be in all universities of Pakistan.

Shan Foods distributes 33,000 Shoop noodles in collaboration

with the Robin Hood Army

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) One of the leaders in the spice industry, Shan Foods partnered with the Robin Hood Army to distribute 33,000 Shoop noodles to people in underserved areas.

As a part of a new initiative begun by Shan Foods, under their corporate social responsibility, the partnership aimed to deliver food to underprivileged communities. The packets were distributed in Mubarak Village, Shanti Nagar, Manghopir – Umer Mangal School and Karachi Public School in Malir. Five thousand packs were also given to Khana Ghar at Khuda ki Basti.

Maria Rashdi,Senior Marketing Communications & Ecommerce Manager, Shan Foods talking about this initiativesaid, “At Shan Foods we care about the people in our society.We are extremely thankful to the Robin Hood Army for joining hands with us on this initiative and for helping us distribute the packs to deserving people.”

Rodney D’Souza, the lead on this project from the Robin Hood Army team commented: “It is always heartening to see companies contributing toward our cause. We are very happy that the Shan Foods team thought of us while planning this drive. It has been a pleasure partnering with them for this initiative and we look forward to working together with them in the future as well.”

An almost 40 year old company, Shan Foods has remained committed to not only delivering quality products to its consumers but it also cares about the community in which it operates.

 

Distinguished Lecture on ‘The strategic importance of Economic Diplomacy for Pakistan in the 21^st century’ by Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi organized a distinguished lecture on The strategic importance of Economic Diplomacy for Pakistan in the 21^st century by Honourable Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, at the IBA Main Campus. Attendees included members from the academia, media, consul generals, corporate sector, the IBA faculty, students and alumni.

Director Alumni Corporate Relations and Communications Department (ACRC) Malahat Awan invited Mr. Qureshi and Associate Deans IBA Dr. Sayeed Ghani and Dr. Huma Baqai to the stage. Following this, Dr. Baqai introduced the Foreign Minister to the audience and invited him to deliver his lecture.

Mr. Qureshi commenced his lecture by thanking the IBA for inviting him and applauded the Institute for its continuous strive for excellence. He then described how the 21^st century is different from the old times. He said “Borders have become fluid. Communication is instantaneous and free flowing. There are a multiplicity of actors and interests within the State, interacting constantly with actors and interests outside of it.” Emphasizing the importance of economic diplomacy, he said in one word it is ‘opportunity’.

He also discussed about the economic challenges of the current account deficit and falling exports that Pakistan’s economy is facing. He said that his office has made a conscious determination to place Economic Diplomacy in front and center of Pakistan’s diplomatic agenda. According to him, the foreign ministry has made concerted efforts to reorient diplomatic efforts towards addressing national needs. During the lecture, he mentioned that Pakistan secured over US$10 billion to overcome balance of payments crisis, and secure oil supplies on deferred payment basis.

He also mentioned that Pakistan will no longer fight wars for other countries and will maintain its stance for peace which is why even to India’s aggression, Pakistan reacted with responsibility and restraint, but also resolve. While talking about the future, he said that Pakistan must climb up the global value chains by upgrading technology, leveraging young talent, and by capitalizing on the export related opportunities that CPEC will create.

Following the lecture, a Q&A session between Mr. Qureshi and the audience ensued. Concluding the event, Dr. Ghani thanked the distinguished guest for his time and presented a memento to Mr. Qureshi as a token of thanks.

Online safety is an important conversation that you can share with your teenaged kids, where both parents and teenagers have roles to play

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Facebook, the world’s famous social networking platform, has released tips for online safety addressing its one of the vibrant audiences, teenagers, in order to provide them safe user environment without any complication.

Online safety is an important conversation that user can share with your teenaged kids, where both parents and teenagers have roles to play.

For parents, it’s a good idea to set limits for teenagers on how much time they can spend online – not least because there’s a lot of good fun activity that’s important to their development, like sports, music and play. But even with their online limits agreed, one still has to be sure that it’s time spent well and viewing content that’s interesting, engaging and most importantly, safe.

Some of the steps from Facebook’s Parent’s portal on ensuring your teenager’s online safety have been provided that parents can take to ensure their teenager’s online experiences are positive ones.

Parents should discuss the online safety with their teenaged kids at a early stage: Teenagers are growing up in an online world. Take the time to introduce them to privacy and security protocols so that from an early age they know what’s safe and what’s not

Teenagers are curious by nature and will start to explore as they get older. Parental controls can be installed on phones, tablets and laptops as well as your broadband connection. They can block or filter content but also control how much time is spent online. So, parents must keep a hand on the controls.

Set boundaries. Let teenagers know the time they can spend online and the websites, apps and activities they can engage with. Boundaries should cover behavior when gaming, chatting or messaging too. ‘Don’t do anything online that you wouldn’t do in person is a basic rule. It can be useful to remind teens that potential employers and colleges often check social media profiles and online content can be hard to remove.

The Internet is an amazing resource for education and learning. Encourage your teenagers to show you the websites they like and what they do there. Be positive

And realistic: Acknowledging that sometimes teenagers might come across inappropriate content by accident will make them feel comfortable bringing it to your attention.

Make a deal: Find the right time to deliver your advice and set your ground rules. The day your teenager gets their first phone or tablet can be the day you draw up some easy-to-follow guidelines for online activity that you can stick by.

It’s your responsibility: It’s your parental responsibility to protect them wherever they are, and that includes online. When old enough, make sure a parent friend them or follow them on other social media. You may face resistance, but make it one of the conditions for allowing them access.

Be consistent: Try and follow the same rules. That might mean no devices at the breakfast or dinner table or no texting after a certain hour. Or at least explain why some of the rules are different for adults.

CALSouthern-CALPAK Delegation Looks To Provide

Education to Underserved Communities In Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A joint delegation led by Dr. Gwen Fine stone, President of California Southern University (CALSouthern)and Anila Ali, Founder CALPAK called upon H.E. Imran Ismail, Governor Sindh.

Founded in 2017 to provide educational and employment opportunities to underserved communities in Pakistan, the collaboration of CALSouthern-CALPAK has achieved a positive impact towards sustainable development goals including increased access to quality education, clean water and energy.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed thecountry’s education system in Pakistan and how to increase female enrollment in schools. Till date, CALPAK has in association with CalSouthern sponsors, inaugurated two schools in Qurtuba and Tharpakar.

Dr. Finestone also met with Imran Haleem Shaikh, Chief of Staff – JS Bank on collaborations to augment the education sector in Pakistan.During the meeting, Imran Shaikh said, “Dr. Finestone and Ms. Anila have added value on how to bring about positive change in the education sector. By focusing on female education, JS Bank is working to amplify impact across society as a whole.”

Imran Ismail expressed his views stating, “This partnership is another step in our drive to enable female education and build their contributions towards the national economy. Women are a driving force in our lives and culture. By engaging with entities such as the CalSouthern-CALPAK Collaboration we are providing a platform for women to grow and be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Dr. Gwen Finestone stated, “Our meeting with the governor was very productive. He is obviously a man who cares about the people of his country and most particularly of his province. He was willing to go out of his way to assist us. We recognize and are thankful for his efforts toward education and women’s empowerment.”

Committed towards the progress and prosperity of Pakistan, CalSouthern-CALPAK will continue to provide education to the under privileged in Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) hosted a high-profile corporate networking conference in Peshawar on the theme ‘KP: Pakistan’s gateway to economic prosperity’ providing a platform to region’s key stakeholders and thought leaders to engage in interdisciplinary, forward thinking conversations and encouraging collaborative action by proposing a common agenda aimed at revitalising the private sector to kick start an era of sustainable, inclusive economic growth in the province.

Taimur Jhagra, Minister for Finance, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KP Board of Investment & Trade, Mujahid Saleem, Advisor on Economic Growth, USAID, and Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head, ACCA were among the keynote speakers who shared their insights and proposed tips for organisations to become future-ready.

“It’s a source of pride to see the city opening up again and providing a platform for thought leaders to engage in meaningful conversations. The province is a large consumer market and offers exciting opportunities for investors. We strongly believe that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is our country’s gateway to economic prosperity.” – Taimur Jhagra

Commenting on the theme of the conference, Director of National Incubation Centre (NIC) Peshawar, Faisal Jamil said, “Around 60pc of all the investments and funding raised by the start-ups at NIC Peshawar have been raised by women-led start-ups. The key takeaway from the conference is that the stakeholders of this region need to focus more on inclusivity and sustainability to drive the business forward.”

Recognising the aggregated impact of the conference, Mujahid Saleem said, “Today’s event will go a long way in chalking out a clear path forward to promote sustainable economic development in this region. We look forward to working with ACCA on similar initiatives in the future for the benefit of this region.”

From robotics and cloud to AI and block chain, digital is arguably the biggest factor shaping the future of business around the world. At the conference, ACCA shared insights, practical guidance, strategies, and solutions to enable businesses and policy makers to embrace these new technologies and create a conducive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The conference offered great insights into developing future-ready talent and preparing the youth of our country for the challenges ahead.” – Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmud, Chief Strategy & Information Officer, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC)

One of the event highlights was a future-focused panel conversation on the topic ‘Digital transformation and economic growth – journey towards sustainable development’. The conversation leaders for the segment included, Dr Mohsin Khan, Director, Institute of Management Sciences, Shafique Ur Rehman, CEO, Rehman Medical Institute, Dr Shahbaz Khan, Managing Director, KP IT Board, Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmud, Chief Strategy & Information Officer, KPEZDMC, Syed Asmat Ullah FCCA, Executive Director Audit & Assurance, Deloitte and Arif Masud Mirza FCCA, Regional Head of Policy, ACCA.

To emphasise on the importance of inclusivity and to discuss the changing nature of work, and evolving business models, the conference also hosted a thought-provoking panel conversation on the theme ‘Building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem’, with contributions from Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KP Board of Investment & Trade, Usman Zulfiqar, Academia Head SKANS School of Accountancy Peshawar, Ihsan Ullah Ihsan, Managing Director, The Bank of Khyber, Mubarak Ali Senior Faculty Member Professionals Academy of Commerce Peshawar, Faisal Jamil, Executive Vice President, LMKT and Maryam Arshad, CEO, Impact Dynamics.

“We believe healthy and prosperous economies are ones that build equitable and thriving societies. In Pakistan, ACCA will continue to play its role in building a healthy and prosperous economy where people of all backgrounds are able to flourish and there’s an open access to opportunity.” – Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head, ACCA

Bank Islami Pvt Ltd. joined ACCA as an exclusive Strategic Partner. The Bank of Khyber, DHA Peshawar, and Rehman Medical Institute were the Platinum Partners, and Professionals’ Academy of Commerce (PAC), and SKANS School of Accountancy joined as Gold Partners.

The conference was also supported by SECP’s Jama Punji, IM Sciences, IM Durshal, Deloitte, SMEDA, KP Information Technology Board, Pakistan Stock Exchange, KPRA, KPCCI, WCCI and KPEZDMC. Nutshell Conferences powered the conference as a Knowledge Partner. 

With more than 219,000 fully qualified members and 527,000 students worldwide, ACCA is the world’s leading body for professional accountants which uses its unrivalled connections across the world to connect people with fulfilling careers, organisations with the best finance talent, and economies with the ingredients for growth. With strong partnerships with top employers and social sector across the globe and an award-winning Professional Insights programme offering ground-breaking futures insight, ACCA is at the forefront of finance talent development and creating future-proof careers.