Governor Punjab Visits Jazz Digital Park, Stresses Need for Digitalization of Education in Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

Governor Punjab, Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, paid a visit to the Jazz Digital Park, Pakistan’s largest Tier 3 certified data center, in Islamabad. During the visit, he highlighted the vast potential for growth in Pakistan’s IT sector besides the immense need for digitalization of the country’s education sector.

The Governor highlighted the significance of the IT industry, noting that expertise in IT and technology is essential for national development. He commended the skills and talents of Pakistani youth in various fields and underscored the necessity of equipping them with modern IT skills to capitalize on global opportunities.

Expressing his appreciation for Jazz’s Digital Data Park, the Governor said that the facility offers advanced IT facilities for freelancers, firms, and public and private institutions. He lauded Jazz’s proposal for an efficient learning management system (LMS) for the public universities in Punjab, pledging full support for addressing today’s need for digitization and technological advancement in the education sector, alongside saving costs for the government.

Jazz’s proposed solution for the digitalization of education offers a three-fold approach, involving GSM, Cloud (Garaj), and smartphones, an example of which is already live in The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, setting a precedent for all other Public Universities in Punjab.

Speaking on the occasion, Asif Aziz, Chief Business Officer at Jazz, said that the state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure of Garaj would serve as the backbone for this project. The LMS powered by Jazz aims to simplify educational processes and improve engagement between teachers and students by offering functionalities like creating and managing resources, alongside tracking student progress, and fostering peer-to-peer learning.

Asif added that Jazz is pioneering this initiative to digitally transform education in Pakistan while retaining a significant $1 billion cloud revenue within the country besides ensuring data sovereignty. By establishing local data centers and cloud services, we can break free from international platforms like Amazon, Google, and Cloud, he stressed.

Jazz’s Digital Park is the largest Tier 3 certified data center in Pakistan. Recognizing the importance of secure data storage for businesses of all sizes, the Digital Park offers state-of-the-art facilities, 24-hour backup, scalability options, and convenient pay-as-you-grow payment plans.

Governor Punjab Baligh Ur Rehman expressed his excitement at visiting the Jazz Digital Park, acknowledging the strides made by Jazz in Pakistan’s IT sector. He lauded the transformative potential of Jazz’s Digital Park in bolstering Pakistan’s IT landscape.

He urged IT service providers to extend their services to students, universities, and educational institutions at affordable rates, fulfilling their social responsibility and furthering the growth of the IT sector.

Prime Minister Youth Regional Badminton Trials for Women Kicks Off in Punjab

Pakistan (Qasim Ali)

In a move to nurture young badminton talent among women, Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, is set to launch the “Prime Minister Talent Hunt Youth Regional Badminton Women Trials.” This exciting initiative is scheduled to commence on September 5th, 2023, at the District Sports Gymnasium in Sargodha.

The event aims to scout and develop budding badminton stars from across Punjab, providing them with comprehensive facilities and opportunities to showcase their skills. The trials will extend over the course of several weeks, covering seven different locations throughout the region.

*Trial Locations:*
1. Sargodha.
2.Rawalpindi
3.Sialkot
4.Bahawalpur
5.Multan
6.Faisalabad
7. Lahore

During these trials, talented young women will have the chance to demonstrate their badminton prowess, with an eye on potential future success in the sport. The collaborative effort between Kinnaird College for Women and the Higher Education Commission underscores their commitment to fostering sporting talent and promoting gender equality in sports.

This exciting venture promises to invigorate the badminton scene in Punjab, offering a platform for young women to excel in the sport and contribute to the nation’s sporting achievements. Stay tuned for updates as these trials unfold, potentially uncovering the next generation of badminton champions in Pakistan.