Moalims

ISLAMABAD: Open University (OU) of United Kingdom will work with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in evolving a long-term sustainable strategic plan to further improve its academic network for providing quality education and best possible services to the students.

A two-member delegation of World’s first Open University (OU) established in United Kingdom (UK) in 1969 visited Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to share its expertise and experience to boost up accessible quality education.

The delegation of UK-OU’s team conducted a scoping study of the AIOU’s academic system during its five-day stay, AIOU Vice Chancellor AIOU Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said on Monday.

They assured AIOU that they would give their necessary input and suggestions for preparing the plan that will help the university to achieve it future academic goals, strengthening students’ support system, exams evaluation process and tutors teachings methods.

It endorsed the vision of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui with regard to university’s further development and hoped that it will turn it into one of the best open-distance learning institutions in the world.

Senior British academicians Dr Nicholas Richard Watson and Anna Childs visited AIOU’s main campus to study the open learning system in Pakistan and were welcomed by the Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui. The delegation was informed about the AIOU’s future development plan that includes promoting innovative applied research, updating curriculum and course materials, professional development, strengthening students’ support system and improving delivery system through smart use of technology. The visit was sponsored by the British Council, Islamabad.

In their interactive meeting held at the end of their visit, the team appreciated the achievements of AIOU in the education sector of Pakistan and the initiatives taken by Dr Shahid Siddiqui in the recent year for promoting innovative applied research, updating curriculum, introducing automation in delivery system and focusing more on professional development of its faculty and academic staff.

The meeting was attended by AIOU senior academicians and Sciences Dean Dr Naghmana Rasheed and Registrar Dr Muhammad Naeem Qureshi. It was decided that the two universities will resume their decades’ old partnership in consolidating the open distance learning system.

The idea of establishing an open university in Pakistan under an Act of Parliament was brought from UK by the former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Buhtto to fight out illiteracy.

Dr Shahid praised UK’s OU for its solid contribution and support in establishing the AIOU in 1974 at its initial stage.

Dr Siddiqui said that AIOU has achieved its stipulated targets in bringing a large number of country’s population in the educational net. Its annual enrollment has now reached to 1.3 million with a huge infrastructure network.

He said that now the university is focusing on research work and promoting E-learning. He said, “We are working on a plan to convert AIOU into E-learning university through a gradual process.”

Dr Siddiqui further said that they have taken it as their mission to transform the life of the people through education and now they are actively engaged in proving affordable and accessible education to the people through technology-supported distance learning. The delegation lauded the AIOU’s achievements in the recent years and noted that it made significance progress in all the relevant fields. It is hoped that their visit will be productive in helping to achieve future goals.

Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that they are looking forward to resume their previous collaboration with UK OU making the non-formal education more effective in conducting research work on society-related issues and enhancing literacy rate in the country. The delegation was also given detailed presentation on the university’s working by the Directorate of Overseas Education and E-Learning Director Majid Rashid.

The delegation held separate meetings with heads of various departments and pointed out certain areas, which requires improvement.

It hoped that some deficiencies pointed out during the discussion would be overcome with an indigenous in built mechanism as per the needs of their students. It appreciated the professional caliber of the university’s faculty and its serving departments.

News Reference