Moalims

ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has decided to introduce 10 new skilled-based academic courses in the discipline of media and agricultural sciences.
The new proposed courses which have been conceived to be launched soon are audio recording and editing, video camera handling, still photography, graphic and set design, digital camera repairing and maintenance, refrigeration and air conditioning repairing and maintenance, cell phone repairing, commercial poultry farming, construction of poultry farm, poultry processing marketing and value addition.
In this connection, four-day workshop was held here to develop the contents and curricula of these courses, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), New Delhi. The CEMCA’s representative Ankuran Dutta took part in the workshop from New Delhi through video conferencing and assured full support to AIOU in introducing professional courses for the benefit of common man.
Presiding over the workshop, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that the University would gradually switch over to online courses in order to facilitate the maximum number of students by taking full advantage of new technology.
He thanked the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) for its support in strengthening distance-learning system. He announced that the University would soon set up a Research and Innovation Centre to promote research-based activities.
AIOU since its establishment 1974, has been promoting vocational and technical skills through Open and Distance Education.
Such courses had been hallmark of the university since beginning. It had imparted skilled-based education to hundred thousand students in the fields like maintenance of tractor, auto vehicle, electric wiring and cultivation of vegetables at home (kitchen garden) etc. This is first time CEMCA provided support to AIOU for such courses. In the second phase, CEMA will support to develop the detailed contents for proposed courses. International Collaboration and Exchange Office, AIOU has planned to use the available potential for offering the skilled-based online courses.
According to the incharge of the office, Zahid Majeed the University will try to launch the proposed courses by the end of next year. Vice Chancellor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui is committed to enhance the AIOU’s role in promoting skill-based education through ODL system. He has already instructed all the departments to take necessary steps to this direction.