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ISLAMABAD, May 29 (APP):Minister of State for Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, has said that the relevance of education today lies in its connection with the real-world challenges, and “to move from ideas to impact, we need broader partnerships.”
This she said as a chief guest on the occasion of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). Both sides made the commitment to institutionalize their ongoing efforts and expand the scope of research, student development programmes, and policy integration, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
The MoU signing ceremony, which held at the AIOU campus, was also attended by AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood, and SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri along with their respective faculty members.
The minister said: “I am honoured to witness this important partnership between the two distinguished institutions. Universities are more than the teaching institutions, so they must perform as the incubators of ideas and innovation.”
Ms Wajiha Qamar noted that the collaboration within the government’s “URAAN Pakistan” initiative supports smarter institutions and faster learning cycles aligned with Pakistan’s development priorities.
She outlined practical directions for the partnership particularly on support for interdisciplinary research to tackle complex national issues. She said, adding that the Ministry of Education would extend its full support to both the institutions for further collaboration.
SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri underlined the critical need to bridge the gap between academia and policy. “Universities produce knowledge; think tanks generate impact. This partnership is an attempt to merge these strengths,” he said.
Outlining the collaboration’s core goals, Dr Suleri shared a threefold vision based on co-creation of knowledge while undertaking joint research on climate change, governance, inclusive growth, and educational reforms. Secondly, human capital development, offering internships, exchange programmes, and research assistant ships to AIOU students. And lastly, institutionalized dialogue through co-hosting policy forums, embedding policy thinking into university curricula, and making research more accessible to decision-makers, he added.
Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood highlighted AIOU’s historic commitment to accessible and inclusive education since its inception in 1974. As Pakistan’s pioneering open and distance learning university in public sector, the AIOU currently serves a diverse student body with over 300 academic programmes, where male and female ratio is equal and the ratio of international students 50 per cent.
He emphasized that the AIOU has long served as a welcoming hub for collaborative efforts and noted the university’s past joint activities with SDPI. publications.
The ceremony concluded with the official signing of the MoU by Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood and Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, followed by the exchange of mementoes and publications.