Zubair Qureshi
The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is spending billions of rupees on faculty development programme, strengthening of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, expansion of regional network to the remotest and underdeveloped areas of the country as well as providing financial assistance to the deserving students.
This rosy picture of the university affairs was painted by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum while addressing media persons at a briefing.
The vice chancellor said the university had taken special measures to attain financial sustainability, The university is currently managing all expenditures on the faculty development programme, enhancement of infrastructure as well as financial support to the students from its own resources.
The AIOU is the only university of Pakistan that has established its own endowment fund and from the current fiscal year all payments of pension would be made from its interest.
Within the limited time period of two years, the university has established 10 regional offices in the country. This network is being further expanded as the projects of establishing regional offices in Ziarat, Kashmore, Layyah, Khuzdar, Wana and Meran Shah are in the pipeline. Moreover, foundation stones have been laid in Mithi and Moro (Sindh) recently.
The VC said the university was negotiating with the provincial governments and the district administrations for acquiring the government land to establish new regional centers in the remotest and underdeveloped areas of Sindh, Balochistan, KPK, GB and AJK. In collaboration with Oracle Corporation, AIOU will have a state-of-the-art automated application system to automate all academic, administrative and financial processes of the university by June 202 making it the only university of Asia which would be fully transformed to automation.
