ISLAMABAD (APP): Higher Education Commission and Huawei launched on Thursday a Smart University Project in Pakistan to digitalize the varsities through modern equipments.
The project was inaugurated by Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms here.
The minister also inaugurated the Research and Development Center with the help of Huawei at HEC to boost he capability of local researchers.
Minister of State for Education Baligh ur Rehman, Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtiar Ahmad and President of Huawei, Middle East region, Mr Terry was also present on the occasion.
Under the project Wi-Fi facilities would be installed at varsities to provide free wireless internet access for students, faculty and researchers.
In addition, monitoring systems will be deployed which would allow the institutes to access, monitor and manage their respective wireless network.
Ahsan Iqbal said technology had become the core platform of class rooms and smart phones and laptops were rapidly replacing books as the tool kit of the class rooms.
"We are equipping youth with modern tool kits by providing them laptops through Prime Minister Laptop Scheme" he added.
He said with the help of China, Pakistan was going to become a hub of information technology in the region and it would help its neighboring countries including Afghanistan and the Central Asian states to develop their technology.
He said now Pakistan had become the third largest e-lancer country with over 1.5 million people earning by using internet.
Ahsan Iqbal said the present government had enhanced the funding of education by over 100 per cent from Rs 100 billion, three years ago to Rs 215 billion this year.
The minister said current the country had 11000 PHDs and the government was planning to enhance this number to 20,000 in next 10 years.
Baligh ur Rehman said the project of smart and safer universities project would help develop education sector of the country along the modern technologies.
He said keeping in mind the prevailing security situation in the country, the government would ensure the safety of the education sectors by utilizing the modern security system.
Chairman of HEC Dr Mukhtiar Ahmad said under the Research and Development Center project, the local researchers would be sent to Chinese R&D center to learn the latest technologies for research studies being used there.
Terry He said Pakistan was the first country who accepted Huawei when it initiated its commercial operation abroad and now 70 percent of its revenue comes from abroad.
"We are committed to materialize the dream of making Pakistan a digital country", he resolved.