Category: Education

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Citi in partnership with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) hosted a graduation ceremony for the first higher secondary Intermediate students of the TCF College.

In 2017, TCF and the Citi Foundation launched the ‘Critical Employability Skills’ programme, with a $200,000 grant under the bank’s ‘Pathways to Progress’ initiative, with the objective to prepare and groom college-level students for tertiary education and the job market. The program has 400 students enrolled, and was ranked number four in the Karachi Intermediate Board in 2017-18.

The TCF College emphasizes confidence building, extracurricular activities and coaching to build employability skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills in addition to rigorous academic instruction to prepare students for the job market.

Speaking at the occasion, Adeel Shahid, Head of Marketing at Citi Pakistan said, “The growing income disparity in Pakistan does not provide a level for the underserved youth of Pakistan. Mentoring and giving exposure to a variety of life skills and career opportunities helps young people get a head start that they need in order to excel in their tertiary education and careers. We are proud of our partnership with TCF who are keen to equip the youth of Pakistan with value based learning.”

Speaking on the occasion, Zuhaib Sheikh, Head of TCF College said, “With the stellar academic performance of our students, TCF has demonstrated that with the right mix of academics and employability skills, children from the poorest of slums can not only compete but outperform others from more privileged backgrounds. Education is the big equalizer, and will allow these students to choose their own path to success.”

Pakistan has a growing labour force with 1.7 million young people reaching working age each year. However, four million young people between the ages of 15-24 years are unemployed and this number is set to rise to 8.6 million by 2020. That is a significant and growing number of young people who are at risk of social exclusion, income inequality and reduced prospects, and represent a serious challenge to Pakistan’s productivity and economic potential.

An integral part of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative in Pakistan is to unlock economic opportunities and create jobs for young people from low income backgrounds. This includes tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit of young people (aged 16-24), supporting them with training, mentoring and investment to start up and succeed in their life.

The Citizens Foundation is a leading Pakistani nonprofit with the vision to remove barriers of class for children from underprivileged communities and make them agents of positive change. TCF College aims to prove that any child in Pakistan, no matter how economically disadvantaged, can fulfill his or her aspirations for achieving personal, academic and professional success. Established in 1996, TCF has two decades of experience in operating low-cost primary and secondary schools designed to cater to the needs of the poor.

In 2017, the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative was expanded globally with a $100 million commitment to economically empower 500,000 young people with entrepreneurship and employability training before 2020.

 

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  Ufone’s flagship Summer Internship Program for 2018, that on-boarded 40 interns from 15 universities across Pakistan and had commenced on June 18^th, successfully concluded on August 15^th. The internship program is launched once every year, through which a limited number of students are placed within the organization for 6-8 weeks after undergoing a competitive and merit-based selection process. For their exceptional performance, interns received awards and giveaways. The Ufone leadership team acknowledged academia partners’ contribution in building the leaders of tomorrow.

Commandant Brigadier Tariq and Dr. Mohsin Tiwana from College of EME NUST, Dr. Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Dean and Principal, School of Social Sciences and Humanities NUST were present at the ceremony among the attendees. Mr. Rashid Khan, President and CEO, Ufone applauded all interns during his address at the ceremony. He praised their dedication to learning and performance during the internship program. He told the interns that they as the youth are the future of Pakistan and advised them to pursue their professional journey with passion and hard-work.

The 40 interns, who were selected out of a pool of more than 1500 students assessed from universities and colleges including LUMS, NUST, FAST, SZABIST, BAHRIA University, IM SCIENCES, KSBL LSE and GIKI, were placed on properly planned and conceived projects across Ufone offices in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. These projects aimed to hone the interns on their technical and vocational skills with respect to the departments they were placed in. Interns were placed in different departments including Finance, Commercial, Technology, HR, Sales and Development, Contracts and Procurement, Customer Operations and were provided with experiential learning, professional and personal development opportunities via tasks and assignments that are part of working in a corporate environment. 

A prominent feature of Ufone’s apprenticeship program is to actively involve interns in various CSR initiatives taken by Ufone. These included revamping walls of kindness across Islamabad, visit to the orphanage, recognizing real-life local heroes and tree plantation activities in which all the interns participated with great zeal and enthusiasm. 

Ufone’s Summer Internship Program is a project-based internship initiative designed to help students who are ready to enter the job market by giving them the opportunity of working under supervision of experienced professionals. This program enables Ufone to help bridge the gap between industry and academia while providing the company with a pool of ready talent for future business needs.

 

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Sukoon Handyman and Errands Pvt. Ltd., ‘Sukoon’ has entered into a strategic alliance with The Citizens Foundation. “We are pleased to announce our work with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) to fulfill our part as a socially responsible organization. Contributing towards the betterment of society through education fulfills our company’s values and purpose. We aim to educate 100,000 TCF students who would otherwise not have access to quality education,” said Omer Ehtisham, Chief Executive Officer, Sukoon.

“We truly respect Sukoon’s brand philosophy of creating a more inclusive society and their belief that quality education forms building blocks of a progressive economy. TCF has been citizens led movement to create equal education opportunities in Pakistan reaching out to the community with limited to no education access,” said Syed Asaad Ayub Ahmad, President & CEO, The Citizens Foundation.

Sukoon has designed a mechanism in its app, whereby the revenue from every third order made by a customer for PKR 1,500 or above puts one child in a TCF school for one month. TCF has evolved a model to deliver quality education in Pakistan’s most neglected rural and slum communities where we find children, especially girls, out of school.

Joining this initiative are prominent personalities including, Anwar Maqsood, Sarwat Gilani, Bilal Ashraf and Junaid Akram. “On behalf of Sukoon, it gives me immense pleasure today to sponsor an entire TCF school for one month to honour the contributions of these celebrities. I would also like to thank Shahbaz Sumar of Basement Films and Farah Sayeed for their help to launch this powerful partnership between Sukoon and TCF,” Omer added.

Pakistan continues to be one of the most charitable societies in the world and the time to digitize participation in positive social change is now. Use ‘TCF’ as a promo code within Sukoon’s app on iOS or Android to do your part.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Dettol, one of the leading brands of Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited (“RBPL”), is giving a chance to win scholarships, subject to terms, to school going students across the country. This scholarship will cover the tuition fee for a period of 12 months for participants who qualify and meet all the terms.

To participate in this campaign, an individual must buy any variant of Dettol Soap and give a missed call on 0306-3Dettol (0306-3338865). They will then receive a call back and SMS explaining the entire procedure. Entries for the campaign will close on August 31, 2018. Talking about this initiative, Humayun Farooq, Director Marketing – Health, RBPL said, “Going back to school is an exciting time for parents and children alike. Unfortunately, due to sickness and diseases, many students are unable to focus on their education. Dettol has been working towards ensuring the health of children for a more productive academic year, in line with our overall hygiene mission of Hoga Saaf Pakistan. Thus, to encourage students to work harder and stay focused, we have launched the Dettol Back to School initiative of giving scholarships.”

Dettol also has a School Program reaching over 2 million students every year, which focuses on establishing the importance of hygiene and handwashing with soap, to help fight against germs that lead to students falling ill during the school year.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)   A new group of talented youth joined Pakistan’s No.1 Data Network Company, Zong 4G, under the umbrella of its Graduate Trainee Program -2018. Through its talent development initiative for fresh graduates, a total of 50 new graduates have entered into the corporate world.

The company shortlisted graduates from various universities of Pakistan, to encourage and provide them with an opportunity to grow as the Leaders of tomorrow by allowing the trainees to experience the practical world and gain experience in the diverse fields of Engineering, Information Technology, Sales and Marketing etc.

Zong 4G’s, Leaders of Tomorrow-Graduate Trainee Program, has a well-structured and comprehensive recruitment process, where hundreds of fresh graduates undergo extensive evaluation through an aptitude test, assessment center as well as a sequence of panel interviews. This year, the telecom company received a record number of more than 18,000 applications for the programme and shortlisted the best lot through a rigorous recruitment process to ensure that some of Pakistan’s finest graduates become the successors to achieving the vision of Zong 4G, Leading the digital innovation in Pakistan.

Fostering a learning environment for graduates from various backgrounds, the 1 to 1.5 year program renders to providing in depth training coupled with real-time learning through maximum exposure and project management. The program also incorporates behavioral developmental training programs that aim to equip young graduates with essential business skills coupled with the know-how of the digital and industrial ecosystem. Essential management skills are included for them to effectively become the ‘leaders of tomorrow’.

It is heartening to see that every year the program grows to encourage those who are seeking work experience with Pakistan’s No.1 Data Network Company and determined to build a career in the telecom industry.

Adhering to its brand promise of New Dreams, Zong 4G’s perseverance for development of youth and nurturing the leaders in Telecommunication sector is aligned with the country’s vision of youth development.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning and Professor of Finance and Business Economics at McMaster University, Canada, as the 5th Vice Chancellor of LUMS. Dr. Ahmad will assume his Office at the University in end-August, 2018.

Sharing his thoughts on his role at LUMS, Dr. Ahmad said, “It is a great privilege to serve Pakistan’s premier institution and I am excited to work with talented colleagues and the exceptional students who I am confident will take LUMS to the next level of excellence. It is also a homecoming for me and I am grateful for the warm welcome I have already received during my visits.”

As Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning at McMaster University for the past five years, Dr. Ahmad has also led McMaster’s Paul MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Teaching where he has spearheaded several initiatives that continue to enhance McMaster University’s reputation as an international leader in teaching and learning.

Prior to joining McMaster, Dr. Ahmad was Professor of Finance at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business and has also taught executive programmes, seminars and led workshops around the world. Dr. Ahmad also brings with him a wealth of consultancy experience across diverse industries in Canada and overseas, including Advertising, Appliances, Banking, Beverages, Engineering, Pharmaceuticals and Technology.

In addition to his expertise in Finance, Dr. Ahmad earned an MBA and PhD in Educational Psychology from McGill University, Canada, and has focused on curriculum design, online and blended learning, approaches to effective teaching strategies and students as partner programmes. He continues to serve as Chair of the Editorial Board of the International Journal for Students as Partners and as the Chair of Teaching and Learning Canada. Dr. Ahmad has also led Canada’s Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education as its President while also being the Vice President of the International Consortium of Educational Developers. Both these organisations aim to enhance the quality of the student learning experience.

In 1992, Dr. Ahmad was recognised with a lifetime 3M Teaching Fellowship and has several local and international teaching awards to his credit. His accomplishments as the Vice-Provost have been further recognised when McMaster was recently selected as the winner of the Global Teaching Excellence Award by an international jury. His departure was announced recently in McMaster’s Daily News.

Dr. Ahmad’s extensive experience and achievements will take LUMS further in its vision of global excellence as he takes this leadership position at LUMS. Currently, the University ranks amongst the top 50 universities in Asia on QS Graduate Employability Ranking 2018. As an institution, it is closing in on being ranked among the top 100 Universities in Asia.

Martin Dow Group inaugurates Purpose Built Hilal Public School – Martin Dow Campus

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) In a grand event held earlier today at Mehran Town, Korangi, Martin Dow Group inaugurated the new purpose built Hilal Public School, Martin Dow Campus of Green Crescent Trust (GCT) in the presence of numerous leading businessmen and donors.

Group Chairman Martin Dow Group, Mr. A. Sattar Akhai, Zahid Saeed CEO, Green Crescent Trust along with Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, VC, NED University, Prof. Dr. Akhtar Baloch, VC, Benazir Shaheed University, Lyari, Mr. Tariq Malik, Chairman KATI and other notables  formally inaugurated the Hilal Public School – Martin Dow Campus.

Speaking at the event Martin Dow Group Chairman, Mr. Jawed Akhai, said “On behalf of Martin Dow Group, which is one of the leading donors of Green Crescent Trust (GCT), I feel honored that our company is a supporting partner of this important event. This new purpose built school is the 6^th project of Green Crescent Trust (GCT) in Mehran Town and the 154^th in total of Green Crescent Trust’s network based in remote and rural areas of Karachi and interior Sindh. The purpose-built state of the art building is equipped with all mandatory science laboratories and smart classes.”

These six schools cater to the families of labourers and workers who are associated with the industries of Korangi Industrial area.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) The Malaysia UCSI University announced awarding 50 educational scholarships to high-performing Pakistani students in conjunction with their outstanding position in the 2019 QS World University Rankings.

With the scholarship fund launched, Pakistani students will enjoy a meaningful educational experience in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, and learn from the best that UCSI as a Praxis university has to offer with their signature ‘Cooperative Placement’ programmes where students are required to intern at a company for 2 months for each academic year.

With up to 50 scholarships to be awarded, students are advised to choose their preferred academic programmes, ranging from Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering and Architecture to Music, Multimedia, Education, Liberal Arts and Hospitality.

The registration for the September 2018 intake is now in progress and the cut-off application date is the 6th of August. The Sigma Education Consultants in Pakistan is facilitating the students in registration and reenrollment process.

“We are proud to have achieved this new ranking, especially for our first time being listed in the QS World University Rankings – where they annually rank the world’s best universities”, remarks Willie Tan, the Vice-President at the Student Enrolment Centre of UCSI University.

‘On top of that, we have also been distinguished as Asia’s fastest rising university (QS University Rankings: Asia 2018) and a global top 100 university for performing arts (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018) – proving our determination in making Malaysia the regional hub of education’.

‘Through the Co-operative (Co-Op) Education system, UCSI focuses on the students’ employability by having them experience and perform in a real working environment related to their disciplines of studies and career goals,’ Wille added.

‘The Co-Op is a graded part of their curriculum – the first of its kind regionally with the largest university-industry network of over 4,000 corporate partners’.

‘We are committed in providing students with local and foreign experiences through the Industry Placements or Co-operative Placements at companies around the world,’ Willie commented, adding that 97.8% of UCSI’s industry partners stated that they would like to rehire UCSI interns.

Combined with Malaysia’s vibrant city life, accessible public transportation system, delicious culinary dishes, lush island escapades, visa-friendly status between the countries and status as an Islamic country, students from Pakistan are assured to have a convenient, comfortable, and fulfilling time.

Now ranking at 481, UCSI University is placed in the top 2% of all universities in the world and ahead of many established universities in the UK, Australia and other countries.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) This year’s Young Leaders Conference yet again left no stone unturned in influencing and empowering the participating youth.  Emerging trailblazers and visionaries of tomorrow went through extensive leadership training to lead the change.

This six-day residential program, supported by the founding partner EBM, brings together 300 youngsters between the ages of 18-24 annually from all over Pakistan. YLC this year kicked off bringing in Dr. Umar Saif, Chairman of PITB as the guest of honor at the inauguration ceremony.

The second day, sponsored by EBM, celebrated the major milestones of Pakistan and explored its challenges through a diverse panel of industry icons including Justice Nasira Iqbal, Pakistani judge and an international law expert and Dr Umar Saif, computer scientist and academic. Shuja Haider, one of the most prolific artists of contemporary Pakistani music shared his experiences and initiatives during the session. Shahzad Nawaz, actor and producer, also took the stage to educate on the possibilities of rebranding the image of Pakistan. A captivating ‘Duo Dialogue’ of Ali Noor, lead vocalist and songwriter with Raza Kazim, renowned philosopher and lawyer of Pakistan on the fourth day was a delight to hear.

Keynote and Panel discussions on various current issues were the highlights of the conference updating participants’ academic and practical based knowledge. ‘Nexus Matter’ by Fareed Alam and Brayshna Kundi from The Asia Foundation addressed the issue of water scarcity which Pakistan is currently facing

Discussion on menstrual taboos and stigmas sponsored by UNICEF was also an eye opener for many. This was followed by the launch of UNICEF’s #NoChutti campaign where the UNICEF Team officially launched their campaign to highlight the taboos associated with menstrual hygiene management.

The conference ended with the ‘Social Action Project’ session which required the participants to create the layout of the projects they were going to initiate to bring about a positive change in society and present it to the YLC team.

This year’s conference was sponsored by the Founding Partner EBM and Cause Partners The Asia Foundation, Australian Government, Feroze1888, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, USEFP, Wilshire, British Council Pakistan, UNICEF Pakistan, Marie Stopes Society, Jubilee Life Insurance, Alif Ailaan, KFC Pakistan, PTCL, Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited, ACM Foods, Mondelez International and Sui Southern Gas Limited.

Jang Media Group, the News, Geo News were the official media partners and Suno FM 89.4 was the official Radio Partner, for the conference while Xenith PR served as the Digital and PR partner, helping to bring the message of YLC to all media platforms and providing essential coverage. TCS served as a logistics partner, ensuring smooth- running and timely execution. Along with that, YLC also partnered with Torque for their strategic support. The YLC vision of youth empowerment and leadership was shared by and reflected in the efforts of all the partner organizations.

YLC 2018 was held in Lahore and Chandbagh from 1st-6th July, 2018. 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) It was a day of overwhelming emotions as the six-day long Young Leaders Conference (YLC) 2018 came to an end on a high note in Chand Bagh. An annual affair organized by the School of Leadership (SoL), YLC is a rigorous, thought-provoking leadership program that brings together more than 300 youngsters between the ages of 18 to 24 under one roof. IT’S TIME was the theme of this year’s conference which provided participants with the courage and passion to shape a better future for themselves and for those around them by letting everyone know It’s Time to change.

Introduction to Social Action Projects was the last day’s theme and was moderated by Azhar Hamza, the YLC Champ for 2018 along with Alezeh Mumtaz.

The ‘Social Action Project’ session required the participants to create the layout of the projects they were going to initiate to bring about a positive change in society and present it to the YLC team. Success stories related to these initiatives were also shared by Maalik Khashkely and Khadeeja Khan.

The last few hours of the conference were spent reminiscing, networking, sharing moments and the unforgettable memories formed within the span of the six days. “This was my first YLC and it has taught me a lot as well as made me think about what is happening around me. I couldn’t be more thankful to the people who empowered me,” said one participant from Karachi.

For Azhar Hamza, the person who led this year’s conference, it was a moment to savor. “YLC has been in my blood since the day I first participated in it. Today, having successfully completed the 6 days of the conference and seeing the impact the conference has had on the participants, my dream to lead this immense project is complete. I feel honored to have been able to work with such an amazing team and to be mentored by some of the most renowned pioneers in the industry,” he remarked.

Heightened passions, conviction and commitment was the dominant emotion as YLCians, as participants call themselves, took an oath of bringing about the change that was discussed.

This year’s conference has been sponsored by their Founding Partner EBM and Cause Partners Australian Government, The Asia Foundation, Feroze1888, USEFP, Wilshire, Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF Pakistan), British Council Pakistan, IlmPossible, UNICEF, Marie Stopes Society, Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited, Jubilee Life Insurance, Alif Ailaan, KFC Pakistan, ACM Foods, PTCL, Mondelez International and  Sui Southern Gas Limited.

Jang Media Group, the News, Geo News are the official media partners and Suno FM 89.4 is the official Radio Partner, for the conference while Xenith PR serves as the PR partner, helping to bring the message of YLC to all media platforms and providing essential coverage. TCS is serving as a logistics partner, ensuring smooth- running and timely execution.

This year YLC has celebrated its 17 years of continued success in working for youth development. It pursues insightful themes like; development, economics, politics, environment, culture, corporate, self-awareness and capacity building.