AIOU to follow China’s model to promote entrepreneurship among students

ISLAMABAD

ONLINE

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is set to follow China’s model for promoting entrepreneurship among students to enable the youth to create earning opportunities through creativity and innovation.

China has made a major breakthrough in recent years in empowering the youth through entrepreneurship. In line with this model, the AIOU would soon hold a national-level expo to motivate the students to develop a business-oriented approach while conducting research work at the higher educational level.

According to AIOU Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr Shahid Siddiqui, the expo would also serve as a ‘start-up’ for students to initiate small-scale businesses on their own. In this connection, the university has arranged a week-long pre-expo training workshop starting Monday to prepare students with the required skills to confidently present their projects at the forthcoming expo, thus multiplying their chances of attracting good job packages in the future.

Dr Siddiqui informed the participants regarding the success stories of China, the United States of America and other countries, that have achieved economic supremacy through innovation and active participation of the youth.

The VC further said that AIOU had been focusing on promoting research culture in the country since the past three years, including publishing research journals and holding conferences. “We believe that excellence in academic research is a major part of bringing socio-economic development in the country,” he added.

The expo would be organised in collaboration with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other relevant institutions, and it would act as a bridge between the students and the industrial sector for socio-economic uplift through innovative ideas.

Dr Siddiqui hoped that young researchers should benefit from this initiative and come forward to develop their skills and expertise for the benefit of society. The university has set up an office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) for marketing the research work of students through collaboration with different universities and industries.