AIOU regional offices to be upgraded to facilitate 1.3 million students

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (APP): Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) under a comprehensive plan will upgrade its 44 regional offices to further improve quality of education and provide best possible services to 1.3 million students.
To evaluate the implementation process, a two-day conference of regional Directors of KPK and Gilgit and Baltistan was held in Abbottabad regional office.
Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui while inaugurating the
conference announced that all the regional offices will be given extra support by meeting their financial, technical and human-resource requirements, enabling them to meet their target of maximum students’ enrollment and strengthening support system.
He advised the regional offices to lay greater focus on quality education and consolidating the university’s role as a research-based organization.
They, he added, should adopt a pro-active approach to provide best possible services to the students in term of admissions, issuance of certificates and degrees and timely mailing of books and allied material.
He assured that the employees’ strength will be increased at the regional level to handle the growing workload.
In this connection, existing vacant vacancies will be filled soon. The
building infrastructure will be strengthened, along with necessary security
arrangements including provision of boundary wall and CCTV cameras.
Dr. Shahid Siddiqui shared the participants the four areas of priorities that include promotion of research culture, professional development, revision of text-books and strengthening students’ support system.
A comprehensive professional development is being implemented for the
capacity-building of the employees, enabling them to deliver the best.
He hoped that the regional campuses could lay special focus on maximum
utilization of the available technology for meeting the requirements of distance education.
They should also work hard for the development of knowledge, skills and attitude to bring about qualitative improvement in the university’s overall working.
During the conference, a training course on Management, Accounts and
Information Technology was also conducted for the capacity-building of the
participants.
The participants gave presentation on academic situation of their
respective regions and departments, with their recommendations for ensuring best possible educational services at the door-step of the people.
Earlier, Director Regional Service Arif Saleemi briefed the participants about the steps taken during the last one year to further strengthening of regional network.