AIOU, PRCS to enhance collaboration for developing strong volunteer force

Islamabad

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) will enhance their mutual collaboration to develop a strong volunteer force for taking part in humanitarian work.

This was stated by PRCS Chairman Dr. Saeed Elahi at the opening session of a daylong seminar on ‘Management Skills for Professionals’ here on Tuesday.

AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui presided over the seminar which was attended by professionals and academicians from various parts of the country. It was arranged by the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) which was recently set up at the AIOU’s main campus to act as a bridge between academia and industry for application of research-based knowledge.

The two sides had already signed an MoU to utilise the services of the university’s students for alleviating the sufferings of the people at the time natural calamity. With their mutual collaboration, the volunteer force has now risen to 1.7 million, said Dr. Saeed Elahi, hoping it would increase to 5 million within next two years.

Dr. Shahid Siddiqui spoke in detail about the important role of the universities in constructing knowledge through research-based activities. The AIOU, while pushing forward academic research, is laying great emphasis on establishing linkages between academia and industries for its proper use and achieving the ultimate goal of serving society. The establishment of ORIC is an important step forward in this direction, he added.

The university, he further said, has adopted pro-public service approach in its educational pursuits. In this connection, Dr. Shahid Siddiqui referred to three new initiatives, expanding educational facilities for prisoners, setting up an accessibility centre for visually impaired persons and collaborating with NAB in its campaign against corruption.

AIOU, through its separate office, will maintain liaison with industrial sector to share latest research in relevant fields. It will work as a bridge between researchers and the end-users for the application of latest knowledge (new innovations) in a particular field. We believe that the society should get the benefit of research findings, being carried out in the educational institutions, he added.

Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui noted that the Higher Education Commission has allocated a huge fund for research work and now it is the duty of universities to ensure its proper use and disseminate their research findings among the end-users for the socio-economic development of the country.

Earlier, Professor Dr. Nowshad Khan, head of ORIC, highlighted the objectives of the seminar and the role of the department in evaluating research findings and to pass on the credible one to the relevant sector.