Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed urged the world community to work on education diplomacy and use science as a tool for global peace and development.
Addressing inaugural session of the thirty-seventh annual conference at the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad, he informed the audience that Pakistan witnessed rise of online education and continued academic activities though online system after corona pandemic.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that blended learning modes would become as essential mode of education due to inbuilt characteristics. Delegates from 22 countries will present 180 research papers during parallel sessions of the three-day conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities on expanding horizons, innovations in open and distance learning.
Addressing the delegates, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that the Higher Education Commission has introduced open and distance education policy in Pakistan to help other universities and higher education institutions to offer open distance learning.
‘Pakistan is experiencing rise of online education system after corona pandemic’
In his address, Allama Iqbal Open University Vice Chancellor Dr Nasir Mehmood highlighted significance of the open education system. On the occasion, he informed the audience that distance education was no more a second chance of education. He pointed out that the open distance learning was still going through its initial stage of adoption.
He called upon members of the Asian Association of Open Universities to take collective measures for tackling challenges being faced by distance learning system. He emphasized that digitalization has expanded AIOU’s educational outreach to remote areas across Pakistan and gained recognition internationally.
The vice chancellor said that the university’s current student body exceeds 1.2 million, including foreign students from 35 countries. Under this system, he said they were providing education to prisoners and the transgender community. During the event, the accreditation service of the Asian Association of Open Universities and the Asian MOOCs Book were also unveiled.
As keynote speakers, Asian Association of Open Universities President Dr Ojat Darojat, and Canada’s Commonwealth of Learning President Dr Peter Scott highlighted importance and necessity of distance education system and contributions of the Open Universities Association. They expressed support for collaborative efforts to promote education through the distance learning system.
