The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has allocated Rs. 47.5 million for training and enhancing the capacity of their academic staff, ensuring provision of quality education to their students.
Vice Chancellor AIOU, Professor Dr. Nazir Ahmed Sangi saidthat Rs five million will be spent during the current year for training purpose. “We are leading one in capacity-building of our academic staffso that they could deliver best possible education to the young generation through distance-learning,” Sangi said. Dr. Nazir Ahmed Sangi said the AIOU has also the distinction of providing education to its students through E-learning and instructional designing system. Value-added and job-oriented education is the main focus of their research and development activities. The AIOU wished to help the government to address the country’s main like illiteracy and unemployment, he added. All the relevant departments of the AIOU are being equipped with the latest equipments and computer software so that they could effectively address the problems being faced by the students in enhancing their knowledge and professional skill in various disciplines. The academic staff should adopt community-serving approach, ensuring access of quality education across the board throughout the country, he asserted. While highlighting the achievements of the AIOU during the last two years, Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi said the now the students were getting syllabus books well before the start of each session and they were also being taught through E-learning system including video conferencing.
Craft workshop for amateur artisans kicks off: An eight-day workshop on craft of pottery making started here Monday at the National Art Gallery of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) for amateur artisans and art lovers of twin cities.
The participants will explore the art of pottery through skilled training being conducted by Sheherezade Alam, an expert in the field. Various sessions of the workshop will focus on theoretical and practical lessons as the course is designed to take the participants into the exciting world of pottery. With the programme entitled “Earth Fire Water Air: A Journey with Clay”, the participants will learn to touch, sense and feel the four elements common to human and clay vessel with experience of 7 stages of pottery making through various techniques of hand building and the pottery wheel, said an official of PNCA while talking to APP. The students will be guided into the 9000-year-old living legacy of clay, the Indus Valley Civilization. The course is an opportunity to explore the creative potential and artistic skills of youngsters with this ancient material, the official said. On completion of the course, the participants will be given certificates and also exhibit their work at the National Art Gallery to share their creations. The workshop will be followed by an exhibition of pottery crafts created by Sheherezade Alam on May 8 entitled “I am vessel, I am the vessel maker, I am the clay of the vessel”. The exhibition will continue till June 24. Sheherezade Alam is popular for making Pakistan’s first female studio potter in early 1970’s with the mission to bring cultural and heritage education to young children.
