High-powered panel stresses need for urgent investment in education & healthcare

Posted on by admin

• Experts shed light on the evolution of education and healthcare in Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan needs to invest in the education sector by devising a need-driven strategy allowing the right of education to all, to avert our major problems like economic crisis and extremism. The education system in Pakistan is suffering from severe issues, including commercialism, and to achieve our sustainable goals, an educational emergency is the need of the hour. These views were expressed by eminent national and foreign education and health experts during a panel discussion. The discussion “Evolution of Education and Healthcare” was held on Day 1 at the Pakistan Pavilion during the World Economic Forum. This important discussion session on Pakistan was organized by the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations in collaboration with the Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce. The panel comprised Dr. Huma Baqai, Senior Vice Chairperson KCFR, Dr. Linda Zangwill, Professor University of California, Dr. Marc Siegel, CEO Siegel Associates, and Mr. Ali Shah, CEO iPath, while senior journalist Faysal Aziz Khan moderated the session. Opening the discussion, Faysal Aziz Khan gave a brief overview of the education system and public health facilities in Pakistan. Sharing the information provided by the government and government agencies, he termed the educational situation in the country as deteriorating and said that Pakistan, at present, had made a global ranking for out-of-school children between the ages of 5 and 16. Pakistan is second only to Nigeria, with a very large number of girls of the same age, about 59%, that do not go to school for various reasons. Faysal Aziz said that the running of the education system in the country had gone into the hands of the private sector which was making this sacred mission a for-profit business. Talking about the public health facilities in Pakistan, he said that 70% of the medical facilities in the country were being provided by the private sector, and that the public sector was under severe pressure in this regard. He said that the medical treatment was one of the basic human needs but it had also turned into a lucrative business. Dr. Huma Baqai, Senior Vice Chairperson KCFR, while shedding light on Pakistan’s deteriorating education system, said that capitalism had destroyed education in Pakistan as we gradually turned education into a privilege instead of a right, and more so how we allowed the private sector to impart the good education by leaving our public sector in shatters. “We are the fifth largest country in the world and we need to impart quality skill-based education to our youth. Pakistan needs a multipronged education strategy and there is no way we can continue with such a limited approach,” she said. Mentioning Pakistan’s low literacy rate, she said that anyone who could read or write his name was considered to be literate, but it was not literacy at all. While expressing deep concern over the precarious situation of the education system, Huma said that education in Pakistan had been made a commercial product instead of a fundamental right which was not acceptable in any way. Dr. Linda Zingwell shared her experiences in health sector management and shed light on modern technologies being used to overcome the problems being faced by health institutions. Dr. Zingwell told the audience that the world was moving towards using Artificial Intelligence in healthcare which would be revolutionizing health services in the near future. Marc Siegel, who also teaches Supply Chain Management at the University of California, suggested that business skills should also be imparted to young graduates so that they might compete in growing markets around the globe. Ali Shah, CEO iPath, shed light on modern-day healthcare system which enables the healthcare professionals to access the personal data of specific patients. He urged the Pakistani authorities to establish National Electronic Heath Record Platform as many other countries around the globe had begun to streamline their healthcare systems. If such a platform is developed, all relevant information of a patient would be accessible by entering their national ID number, he said. He termed the platform as a game-changer in the health sector.

AkzoNobel upgrades Dulux EasyCare with new Anti-Viral properties

Posted on by admin

Prioritizing health and making home worry-free spaces, AkzoNobel upgrades Dulux EasyCare with new Anti-Viral properties

As health and safety becomes a growing priority for consumers, Akzo Nobel Pakistan has taken on the task to secure families within homes. The company today launched the upgraded Dulux EasyCare Anti-Viral1 proposition in the premium interior washable paints segment.

The paint that parents trust on their walls as it is tough on stains and bacteria2, is now also tough on virus. Boosted with the new Silver Ion Technology, Dulux EasyCare provides an added layer of anti-viral protection1 that helps to effectively work against certain virus. 

Launched today, Dulux EasyCare is now available for purchase at selected outlets across Pakistan.  

“At AkzoNobel, we are constantly on the lookout for technologies to push the boundaries in safeguarding families and enhancing living through paint. As the importance of health and wellness gains traction in a post-pandemic world, I am proud that our new Dulux EasyCare Anti-Viral can support that vision by protecting our consumers starting from the four walls of their homes,” shares Mubbasher Omar, Chief Executive Officer, AkzoNobel Pakistan Limited.

The upgraded Dulux EasyCare now provides four-pronged peace-of-mind to parents.

Dulux EasyCare actively safeguards the health of families against unseen threats and makes living environment safer.  In addition to its existing anti-bacterial2 properties, the offering is now boosted with the new Silver Ion Technology for added anti-viral protection.

AkzoNobel is coming to the aid of young families who want to play, express and live worry-free in their homes. The celebrated KidProof+ technology in Dulux Easy Care ensures that walls stay stain free and clean for longer. The protective layer on the paint film actively resists common household stains caused by liquids (such as fruit juices, tomato sauce, ice creams etc.), stationary (chalk, fluorescent pens), dust and mud.

This innovative paint offering also merges the best-in-class performance with global aesthetics. The Colourguard technology helps walls remain vibrant for longer. Its now easy to bring alive your look on walls as AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center has developed an extensive palette with over 2000 colour options to choose from.

Further inspiring consumer confidence and trust is Dulux Assurance – the first-of-its-kind promise of superior quality in the Pakistan paint industry. Dulux EasyCare consumers can rest assured of Perfect Colour, Uniform Finish and Coverage stated, else the paint will be replaced*.

Lollywood’s new movie “Kamli” took great start at Box office. Became first choice of the moviegoers.

Posted on by admin

Director Sarmad Khoosat and Saba Qamar Visited Cinemas to thank the audiences.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistani film industry’s latest Urdu feature film “Kamli” has started its business with spectacular openings in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad cinemas and young filmgoers as well as families have especially appreciated Saba Qamar’s performance. To get direct feedback from the audience about the film and to meet the audiences, Kamli’s lead actress Saba Qamar and director Sarmad Sultan Khost visited the multiplex cinemas in Lahore on Sunday where they were warmly welcomed by the audience and congratulated them on their best performances and take selfies. Saba Qamar and Sarmad Khoosat first arrived at Lahore’s Best CUE Cinema, after which they also visited Emporium Mall, Packages Mall, Xinhua Mall and Cinestar Cinemas and thanked the audience for the overwhelming response to the film. Sheikh Abid Rashid, Executive Director, Distribution Club also accompanied both stars on the occasion. Talking to the audience, the two artists said that the response to the film “Kamli” has served as oxygen for the film industry and now it has created favorable atmosphere for the upcoming films. Saba Qamar said that she could not express in words the love and affection that the audience has given to her character Hina in Kamli. She said that she will respond to this love of the audience with better performances in the next film.

Lahore Crowned Winner of the PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022

Posted on by admin

Team UCP Wins the PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022

Lahore Steals the Crown by Winning PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022 In a clash between Lahore and Karachi, 16 teams battled it out for the ultimate PUBG Mobile glory earning them prizes worth PKR 350,000/- along with realme 9 Pro+ and realme C35 realme gave hundreds of students from universities around the country a chance to prove their skills and get a shot at an unbelievable grand prize of up to PKR 200,000/- and tons of realme products.

The PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022 drew to a close after visiting Karachi and Lahore to find their sixteen PUBG Champions. Two titans from every university demonstrated their expertise in the field, taking down all the competition from their institutions one by one to claim their Chicken Dinners. The teams have been preparing non-stop, going over strategies and practicing formations, although for a lot of the youth in Pakistan the game of PUBG runs in their blood. With over 500 Million downloads on the Google Play Store and a daily user count of 30 million in Pakistan, the free battle-royale shooter has quickly become the face of e-sports in the country.

The Grand Finale of the PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship took place virtually this past Sunday, June 05, 2022 and was streamed live on realme’s official Facebook and YouTube pages where the winners were finally revealed to the public. The gameplay during the various rounds was extremely tight. Teams played with a fire in their eyes and a determination to take the trophy home and make their university proud. The intercity rivalry was also intense with viewers tuning in to the infectious spirit displayed by the clashing teams.

In the end, Team H2e from University of Central Punjab (UCP) proved their mettle and snatched the PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022 trophy out of everyone else’s reach, earning the mindboggling grand prize of PKR 200,000/- and four brand new realme 9 Pro+. Trailing behind them in second place was Team Bablu from FAST Karachi, taking home a whopping PKR 100,000/- as well as two realme C35. Rounding off the Top 03 was team The Poor Four from FAST Karachi, going home with a large sum of PKR 50,000/- as well as one realme C35. This was a historic event for the growing e-sports community in Pakistan as there are few events of this nature that take place in the country and the e-sports community is striving to see the level of adoration that mainstream sports receive.

The PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022 ignited a fire in universities across Pakistan. Students from around the country were eagerly waiting to find out if the competition would be making a stop at their university. realme understands the passion of today’s youth which include gaming, music, technology and social interaction. These aspects were amalgamated by realme to create the ultimate youth attraction – the PUBG Mobile realme Gaming Championship 2022. realme has a host of products that are well-suited to enthusiastic gamers including the recent realme 9 Pro+. With its powerful MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G chipset, 90Hz Super AMOLED display, and Vapor Cooling Chamber System, the realme 9 Pro+ is rightly equipped to handle the load of strenuous gaming. realme is not resting on its laurels after such a successful event.

There are more exciting events and releases planned in the pipeline from realme in the latter half of the year so fans should stay tuned! 

CDC ITMinds Limited signs an agreement with Pak Qatar

Posted on by admin

CDC ITMinds Limited signs an agreement with Pak Qatar Asset Management Company Limited and Pak Qatar Family Takaful Limited for Back Office service provisioning

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) ITMinds Limited (ITMinds), a wholly owned subsidiary of Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDCPL), has entered into outsourcing arrangement with Pak Qatar Asset Management Company Limited (PQAMCL) & Pak Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) to provide Back Office Accounting Services to PQAMCL & PQFTL. The agreements were signed by Mr. Farhan Shaukat CEO-PQAMCL, Mr. Ahsan Qureshi CFO-PQFTL with Mr. Iqleem-uz-Zaman Khan CEO-ITMinds in the presence of Mr. Badiuddin Akber Director-ITMinds & CEO-CDCPL.

Through this arrangement, ITMinds will facilitate PQAMCL and PQFTL in concentrating on their core business activities, i.e. managing investors’ money and savings, by relieving them from various non-core  critical  back office functions like accounting services,   Settlement of portfolios, Unit management related activities, Funds NAV calculation, Facilitation for Compliance/ Reporting, Information Security, Business Continuity and IT arrangements.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Farhan Shaukat, CEO-PQAMCL, said that this arrangement will enable PQAMCL to concentrate on its core business of managing investors’ funds while outsourcing the back office functions to a Professional Fund Administrator. Also commenting on the occasion, Mr. Badiuddin Akber, Director ITMinds & CEO-CDCPL, said that the concept of outsourcing non-core critical business activities has proved to be efficient and cost-effective in today’s business world. Hence, we have commissioned ITMinds with this aim to enable AMCs and other organizations to outsource their back office functions to a competent and reliable BPO partner, thus facilitating them to augment the focus of their management on the core business which is more integral to their commercial success while achieving efficiency, scalability & transparency of processes. Mr. Iqleem-uz-Zaman Khan CEO-ITMinds highlighted that as of 31st May 2022, ITMinds has 8 active clients leveraging economies of scale with ITMinds BPO services, while more clients are also in the pipeline. At the ceremony Mr. Waqas Ashraf, CFO- ITMinds and others senior members of the Companies were also present.

Huawei Intelligent Net-Zero Carbon Campus Solution Wins WSIS Prize 2022 Champion

Posted on by admin

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Huawei was named Champion at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2022 Forum’s Prizes Ceremony in Geneva yesterday. The WSIS 2022 Prizes Campion, was presented to Huawei for its use of their intelligent net-zero carbon campus solution at the Yancheng Low-carbon & Smart Energy Industrial Park project. A total of 996 projects were considered for this award, and the selection process took five months.

WSIS is the world’s largest annual gathering of the ICT for development community. The event aims at advancing global sustainable development goals is co-organized by the ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other UN organizations and WSIS action plan facilitators. The WSIS Prizes contest awards prizes for outstanding sustainability projects in 18 categories, including information and communication infrastructure, E-government, E-environment, E-health, and E-agriculture. Huawei’s intelligent net-zero carbon campus solution was nominated for this year’s environment category.

The Yancheng Park project was jointly developed by Huawei and the Yancheng Power Supply Company, a subsidiary of the State Grid Corporation of China. The project uses the triple-dimensional model for energy transformation, decarbonization, and digital transformation. By focusing on the three scenarios of smart energy management, carbon management, and campus management, this project delivers real-time monitoring of energy equipment, strong carbon emission management, intelligent and convenient access control management, and intelligent and coordinated micro-grid control. The campus is powered by complementary energy sources and integrates its energy consumption system with on-campus terminals. The project is a showcase of an intelligent and low-carbon campus that contributes to a green, low-carbon, safe, and efficient modern energy system.

To learn more about WSIS, please visit: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2022/

realme Opens its First-ever Global Flagship Store

Posted on by admin

realme Opens its First-ever Global Flagship Store Promising the Ultimate realme Experience for Fans

 Spread over 13,000 sq. ft., the state-of-the-art flagship store is a one-stop destination for realme fans – an experience soon to come to Pakistan

realme has built a very strong relationship with its fans since its inception in 2018. The tech democratizer’s infectious Dare to Leap attitude has earned it a large Gen-Z following as the youth of today greatly relates to everything realme stands for including activism, fresh perspectives, and trendy technology. As a global brand that is constantly growing, realme has a significant footprint all around the world. One of realme’s largest market lies in India where the brand has unveiled its first-ever Global Flagship Store.

Taking up an area of 13,000 sq. ft., the new Global Flagship Store opened to much public aplomb. The first 100 guests to walk-in to the store were guaranteed prizes and exciting giveaways. realme aims to make this sprawling edifice a haven for those who Dare to Leap as well as an avenue towards real greatness. The realme Global Flagship Store provides a truly immersive experience with a full range of realme smartphones and AIoT products, including the latest flagship innovations.

The futuristic design of the Global Flagship Store features a line lighting design which is very modern and aesthetically pleasing. With a total of three stories, the massive store offers customers a seamless and continuous experience as they move through it. The store also features a dedicated TechLife Zone which showcases the power of a digitally integrated, futuristic lifestyle with realme’s range of wearables and audio devices, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, smart care products and smart home devices. Once you’re done browsing through the most bleeding-edge technology and making your purchases, the Global Flagship Store also has a place for you to relax and replenish your energy. A built-in realme Café which offers attractive delicacies will ensure that visitors have a wholesome and holistic experience as well. The overall setup emboldens the brand’s image as being vibrant, future-oriented, and customer-oriented. realme’s commitment to foster sustainable living, as outlined by realme’s “Go Premium” strategy, is reflected in realme’s Global Flagship Store as well, which has an e-waste recycling box to explore the fusion of technology with sustainability.

Pakistan as a market has a lot of untapped potential for realme. Geographically and culturally there are a lot of similarities between Pakistan and India. realme has really been making an effort to establish itself in the Pakistani market, especially in 2022 with the opening of realme’s local mobile assembly plant which guarantees cheaper assembly therefore cheaper prices for the end consumer. Since realme has shown they are willing to invest in the cultivation of the Pakistani market, realme fans can hold onto the hope that Pakistan might be next to receive its very own Global Flagship Store. realme fans in Pakistan are growing in number day-by-day and brand awareness is on the rise. In order to cater to this rising demand realme might open a premium store of this scale in Pakistan as well. Stay tuned for any further developments regarding future realme Global Flagship Store launches and make your voice heard if you want the next one to come to Pakistan!

 

Jubilee Life Insurance wins Two Major Awards at The Pakistan Digital Awards 2022

Posted on by admin
Karachi (Nut Desk) Jubilee Life Insurance, the leading life insurance company in the private sector, has been awarded with two major accolades at the Pakistan Digital Awards Ceremony 2022. For its exceptional outreach, the campaign for HBL PSL Season 6 by Jubilee Life Insurance bagged the ‘Best Integrated Media Strategy’ award while the campaign for the Jubilee Life Customer Testimonial Videos was honored with the ‘Best Content of the Year’ award.
 
This is the fourth time in a row that the organization has won awards at the prestigious Pakistan Digital Awards forum. At the heart of both campaigns from Jubilee Life is the face of the brand, Mr. Befiker Bilal Ashraf, who was present at the ceremony to receive the award along with the brand and agency team.
Pakistan Digital Awards are known for recognizing brands for their unique and out of the box ideas. The awards identify campaigns which are able to effectively target audiences and engage with them. The criteria set by the Pakistan Digital Association for judging each nomination is decided through a strict and transparent evaluation process which analyzes the campaigns for their effectiveness and results.
 
Jubilee Life Insurance is revolutionizing the respective space not just through their innovative products but through their creative marketing efforts as well. Jubilee Life Insurance strives to deliver the best in whatever they do. Delivering digital solutions that enhance their customer experience remains an important part of their commitment. Winning these awards for another consecutive year at the Pakistan Digital Awards 2022 is a testament to this commitment.

Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health, general and Takaful) and is committed to the vision of being Pakistan’s best service provider from the insurance industry and is among the top 25 companies of the Pakistan Stock Exchange; it happens to be the only insurance company to make it to this prestigious list.

Digitizing education delivery paves the way for Pakistan’s economic transformation

Posted on by admin

By Dr Ahmar Rashid, Dean, Faculty of CS and Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology

The COVID-pandemic caused havoc in terms of human loss and economic disruption across the globe – its impact on our education system was equally devastating. The upheaval caused by the pandemic accelerated the dire need to prioritize online education. While Pakistani educational institutions responded to the disruption remarkably well, we must use the immediate post-COVID era to bolster our e-learning infrastructure in preparation for the next inevitable disruption. Furthermore, online education is key to building a knowledge-based economy and supporting the realization of Vision 2025.

There is enormous potential for e-learning in Pakistan. The economies of scale created by our large population make it viable for investors to put money into education technology, commonly referred to as EdTech. The country also has a wealth of highly skilled ICT professionals to produce the required solutions, augmented by an up-to-date and relevant local curriculum. Most importantly, our students are eager to adopt technology in their studies that complement the rest of their digital lifestyles.

Online learning also allows us to level the playing field between the privileged students, primarily trained in urban schools, and the under-privileged ones, typically from rural areas. Coming from radically different backgrounds, they learn at very different paces. While conventional education models treat everyone equally, the e-learning model allows for greater customization and personalization, making it beneficial for students who struggle to learn in their current setting. Therefore, e-learning promotes inclusion by delivering lessons to remote areas where students have difficulties accessing a physical classroom. It also allows the government to optimize education spending without compromising the quality of education.

The vast amount of data produced by the education system offers an unparalleled yet untapped resource for boosting learning outcomes. Analyzing data from exam results, enrolment figures, teachers’ performance reviews, etc., provides a unique opportunity for educators to identify gaps and re-design curriculums that better respond to students’ needs. This data analytics also helps policymakers in the education department promote fact-based policies and practices.

The next step is to create an enabling environment for e-learning to thrive in the country. EdTech tools such as HD video, AR, VR and other collaborative platforms require an advanced digital infrastructure to be in place. As educationists, we are happy to see the government prioritizing the rollout of next-generation 5G, which will significantly boost e-learning. The Pakistan government has announced a policy framework in preparation for 5G’s eventual launch by April 2023.

One of the most valuable and relevant consequences of this 5G infrastructure upgrade for online education is enabling high-capacity, low-latency online video streaming,  a highly-effective educational tool for the next generation of students. It would facilitate a blended learning approach bringing together online video, audio and graphics in the learning process to complement the traditional teaching techniques. These techniques have been shown to keep learners highly engaged, while educators benefit from access to a diverse range of high-quality educational content to support their lectures.

Video conferencing is also an ideal platform for students to connect with each other and teachers in real-time, regardless of location. This is where collaboration matters. Universities and the government should leverage the technology and expertise of ICT firms to accelerate the digitization of our education system. We have seen the benefit of such partnerships here at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIK Institute). Last year, GIK Institute and Huawei announced a partnership to establish smart classrooms on campus to expedite a digital learning environment. Huawei also pledged to support GIK Institute in upgrading its IT infrastructure and overall digital transformation.

GIK Institute also hosts Huawei ICT Academy, a school-enterprise cooperation project that works with higher education institutions to help build that talent ecosystem. Our partnership with Huawei recognizes that an enhanced ICT skills development program is crucial if Pakistan is to hit its digital transformation goals. This is especially true for advanced 4IR technologies such as 5G, AI and IoT. Huawei, in particular, is ramping up 5G training in collaboration with universities where the technology is available, offering 5G training certificates and partnering on building innovative real-world projects in 5G. We expect to see similar programs in Pakistan when the technology is rolled out next year.   

The ambitious Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Digital Policy of Pakistan, which envisions a $20 billion ICT industry by 2025, is an essential pillar of our country’s economic transformation. Educational institutions have a vital role to play in this national project. By elevating our academic standards, we can make a real difference in advancing our society in collaboration with the ICT ecosystem.     

 

 

Deedar and Junaid Asghar’s new song “Lamian Judaiyaan” is released.

Posted on by admin

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Actress Deedar and singer and model Junaid Asghar’s new song “Lamian Judaiyaan” has been released. The storyboard of the song is romantic, The director of the video song is Asif Masood, The poetry of the song has also been composed by singer Junaid Asghar. The shooting of the song has been done in the ancestral home of the actress Deedar. Earlier, Junaid Asghar’s debut with Naseebo Lal was also well received.

Actress Deedar says that making a video song is a very difficult task. But shooting locations all day and then giving good and quality work to the fans in the summer season is definitely difficult. Junaid Asghar is also determined for his new video.

Earlier, Junaid Asghar had launched his song Rishk Qamar from India.