Musharraf launches Virtual University
ISLAMABAD- Launching what its inventors have described with an unusual name of “Virtual University”, an institution for higher learning in the information technology, President General Pervez Musharraf has said the institution will provide a linkage between education and industry.
Musharraf said this was imperative for the economic development and this connection had not been emphasised before and his administration was trying to create now. The need of the hour was, he added, that the nation should be taught courses that affect the economic growth and its capacity to blossom industrially.
“The present university is a new concept in propagation of the information technology in which the country had lagged behind over the years, especially the last 12 years,” said Musharraf and added that the economic development of the nation had trailed behind because it had no higher education facilities.
But there was a little bit of dilemma in these two developments as those were inter-dependent. “You need high and scientific education for economic development but at the same time the economic growth is needed to absorb the capacity that will be available through higher education,” he emphasised.
The answer to this is in striking a balance in the two developments. But the information technology, Musharraf added, is in the heart of our economic revival plan that is in the centre of the national development strategy. Its emphasis is on the moulding of the unemployed educated youth into trained assets in the fastest way, making them available for absorption.
The President said the Information Technology (IT) had tremendous potential: first is the infrastructure that has been developed by Dr Ata-ur-Rahman and left our neighbours far behind in several fields and the second are the human resource and, that too, English speaking resources.
“Urdu is our national language and we have to be proud of it but English is our strength because of its usage world-wide, this potential should be built on further,” said the President and added that several countries were accepting English as one of the languages one should know and even great countries like China were emphasising on its learning.
Speaking about the expansion of the IT facility in Pakistan over the recent years, President Musharraf said that education in this critical sector had exploded beyond the urban limitations. From 39 cities, the Internet facility has now jumped to 550 cities and towns and the bandwidth has increased from 32 MB to 260 MB reducing the cost from 86 thousand dollars to six thousand dollars. “This development has taken place in the last 18 months and credit goes to Professor Ata-ur-Rahman, Minister for Science and Information Technology,” he said.
The President also commended the role of Dr Naveed Malik, the Rector of the University for inducting the institution within four months of the approval of the project and the release of funds.
“Virtual is the Seventh University that has been launched over the last one and half years,” the President disclosed and added that this reflected the desire of the present administration attached to the high and skilled education.
Speaking earlier, Dr Naveed Malik spoke of the association of the private sector with his University and that its courses would be relayed on the PTV network, making those available to the whole country. It is patterned after the style of Open University. He hoped that by the end of the year the Virtual University would have a separate television channel.
In his welcoming remarks, Federal Minister for Science and Information Technology, Professor Ata-ur-Rahman said the University would carry out courses in traditional and emerging technologies benefiting the youth in the rural who need not crowd the urban facilities for higher education. He also spoke of transmitting its programmes to the other countries in the region, especially the members of the Organisation of Islamic Countries.
The minister said that the University had set up campuses with the assistance of the private sector partnership ensuring the best possible facilities. He said the private sector had agreed to accept a reasonable return on its investment and thus keep the cost affordable.
Dr Rahman also commended the assistance given by the United Nations Development Fund in the launching of the Virtual University.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:3/24/2002
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