After successful launch of 3G and 4G technologies, the government plans to test 5G services in the country soon.
The Federal minister Ahsan Iqbal said this while addressing the International Annual Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TIEN) NOC Workshop-2017 in mid-December.
“Digital Pakistan was aimed at equipping the young generation with modern technology to ensure its effective usage and with the provision of 3G and 4G, Pakistan has become the fourth largest freelancing country,” he said.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) organized the inauguration ceremony of five-day International Trans-Eurasia Information Network Annual NOC Workshop 2017 in collaboration with TEIN. The inaugural ceremony marked the launch of HEC event registration portal and signing of a document of understanding (DoU) to technologically promote telemedicine. The workshop is being attended by participants from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Government is establishing centres of excellence for artificial intelligence, cyber security, big data, cloud computing and robot, said Ahsan. Creativity and innovations were fundamental drivers of progress and no country can afford to ignore them, he added.
The minister said this is a century of innovations and only those nations are progressing which have equipped themselves with weapons of knowledge and technology.
He said that standards of development have changed and now the development of a country depends upon a few things. “We need to enhance our production capacity and improve our standard continuously. We need to introduce knowledge and information revolution in the country and introduce innovations in all sectors,” he said.
Iqbal said that world is standing on the threshold of fourth industrial revolution being driven by the digital technology. “The way we are living today will be transformed through this revolution, as the new digital paradigms are setting new haves and have-nots,” he added.
He stressed the need for embracing the new revolution to keep pace with the world. Pointing out the major challenge being faced by the world in form of rising inequality, he urged the need for preparations to adopt new technologies to cope with this menace. He maintained that the new developments will create a plethora of opportunities for researchers.
The minister hoped that universities will play a leading role in adopting the new industrial revolution by equipping the country’s youth.
Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed emphasized the need for promotion of constructive sciences, which lead to welfare of mankind. “Let’s work together for the wellbeing of humanity,” he underlined.
Dr Mukhtar said the higher education sector of Pakistan has witnessed remarkable development in the last 15 years, adding now Pakistan has one of the best ICT setups of the region. He said that the HEC has realized the dream of connecting university through fast and effective technologies by launching PERN-III.
Director APAN Nimal Ratnayke said Asia Pacific Advanced Network coordinates activities related to network technologies, services and applications among its members and with its peer international organizations.
The HEC event registration portal was formally inaugurated jointly by Ahsan Iqbal, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and Dr Nimal Ratnayake. The portal will serve as an academic calendar to register events apart from providing information on events, trainings and online courses.
This will also provide opportunity to national and international academic community to collaborate as well. The DoU was signed between Dr Masroor Ikram from Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) and Dr Iqbal Chaudhary from Hussain Ebrahim Jamal (HEJ) Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi for executing this programme under Virtual Education Project Pakistan. The DoU is aimed at promoting telemedicine through the latest technologies. The HEC has provided its video conferencing facility to connect PIEAS teaching under TESP.
