The Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) assured its support to Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to strengthen education system in Pakistan and ensure availability of education facilities in the country’s less developed regions.
This assurance was given by the senior official of JICA during their meeting with the Vice Chancellor of AIOU, Prof. Nazir Ahmed Sangi held in Tokyo on Wednesday, says a message received here.
While appreciating the academic programmes of AIOU, Senior officials of JICA’s South Asia Division Fukuda Shigeki and Ehara keiiji said that they will consider providing technical and financial support to AIOU to further expand its academic programme throughout the country.
They also assured that Jica will also find out the possibility of contributing to AIOU’s endowment fund for supporting poor students. Three AIOU’s projects were discussed during the meeting, which could be carried out with the cooperation of Jica. The projects include establishment of open schooling system in rural area, establishment of model study centre at the country’s regional headquarters and up-gradation of multi-media infrastructural network.
The Vice Chancellor who is currently in Tokyo to attend the 26th conference of Asian Association of Open University (AAOU) briefed the jica’s officials about the ongoing AIOU’s programmes which aimed at providing basic education to drop-out students and its capacity-building plan to improve academic standard and infrastructural network at higher education level.
He invited the Jica’s officials to participate in the 27th Conference of AAOU, scheduled to take place in Islamabad in October, 2013. He also asked the JICA send its team of experts to Pakistan for evaluating the AIOU’s projects which need its support.
JICA has already provided modern Radio and TV broadcasts equipment worth Rs 50 million to AIOU for upgrading its multi-media centre. The VC said the Jica has emerged as its key- partner in developing quality education system in Pakistan.