AIOU to work with foreign institutions to promote distance learning

Islamabad: Alllama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has started working with foreign educational institutions to promote open distance and online learning system in the country to upgrade educational standard from primary to PhD level.

Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui told a visiting delegation of European Union that the University is already in contact with other Open University of the World to develop a national policy on open distance learning.

The delegation was led by Michele Rizzi, Development Adviser that visited the AIOU as a part of their on-going efforts to further develop socio-economic partnership with Pakistan at the level of educational institutions.

The delegation, during its meeting with the vice chancellor assured that they would look into the possibility of developing linkages between AIOU and the European Union’s Universities.

The two sides could cooperate in offering scholarships to their students and academia as well as undertaking research-based projects. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui briefed the delegation about the university’s academic activities, particularly the students’ support system and main educational features of open distance learning that was being carried out successfully for the last four decades.

He also appraised the delegation of the collaborative partnership that the University has developed in the recent years with Commonwealth of Learning, British Council and Netherlands Open University. They have recently held four international conferences to develop partnership with Open Universities of other countries in field of research and promoting academic exchange programs.

Dr. Sididqui said they were encouraging their faculty members to participate in seminars and training workshops abroad to develop their educational expertise and skill. The AIOU, he added was being developed as learning organization by regularly holding professional development activities for updating their staff with latest knowledge and teaching techniques in different disciplines.

The delegation was given detailed presentation on the university’s overall working by Zahid Majeed, in-charge, International collaboration exchange office. Michele Rizzi briefed the University’s academic staff and students about the scholarship opportunities being offered by European Union to Pakistani side.