The pandemic’s destruction served as the final key test for Pakistan’s digital ambitions. Pakistanis have turned to cellphones, tablets, and laptops to work, play, learn, and keep connected since the country was put on lockdown last year. For all intents and purposes, Pakistan’s digital ecosystem has passed with flying colours, highlighting Pakistan Vision 2025 and the country’s Digital Policy, which aims to build a $20 billion ICT economy by 2025.
However, the digital patterns that have emerged as a result of the epidemic call for a rethinking of the ICT talent pipeline. Universities in Pakistan, like universities around the world, must adapt their teaching and operational methods to meet the demands of an increasingly digital environment.
What are the best ways for our colleges to meet this challenge? The first step is to acknowledge that traditional classroom education is insufficient to provide pupils with the well-rounded skillsets that modern businesses want. To supplement the theoretical classroom teaching, students require hands-on expertise and extensive practical exposure. To do this, colleges must collaborate with the larger ICT ecosystem in order to take advantage of the technical advantages that only IT businesses can provide.
The University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila, was one of the first universities in Pakistan to recognize the value of partnerships to benefit our students and the greater economy. One of the institution’s most successful partnerships is with Huawei, which is working with the university to upgrade its computer training curriculum as well as create a future campus.
A programme for advanced education should be delivered in a similar environment. That is why UET Taxila has made the creation of a smart campus a top priority. The university’s leadership entrusted Huawei with the implementation of a large-scale Smart and Safe Campus Project based on Huawei ICT infrastructure. As a result, the Huawei Smart Classrooms at UET Taxila and partner institution Fatima Jinnah Women University have enabled live video conferencing as well as online lecture broadcasting and recording.
We are eager to help Pakistan’s objective of establishing a knowledge-based economy now that this digital foundation has been established. The establishment of a cutting-edge ICT infrastructure is critical to this effort. The government has already put in place the policy framework for 5G deployment, with the goal of having it operational by April 2023. Countries in our region that have already implemented 5G have seen tremendous gains. Since rolling out 5G, carriers in Kuwait, one of the Middle East countries with the earliest and fastest 5G development, have seen a 4 percent increase in revenue and a 13 percent increase in profitability.
However, deploying 5G successfully necessitates a set of abilities. Again, industry collaborations with technology suppliers will be critical in providing 5G training to our kids. Huawei is expanding 5G training in conjunction with colleges where the technology is available, providing 5G training credentials, and collaborating on creative 5G real-world initiatives. Additionally, Huawei’s annual skills development initiatives, such as Seeds for the Future, now provide students with important opportunity to immerse themselves in cutting-edge ICT technologies like 5G and get practical experience. As a result, UET Taxila plans to collaborate with Huawei on 5G test deployment and research as the technology matures.
Rapid deployment of modern technologies, on the other hand, is fraught with dangers. Because of the increased threat landscape brought on by fast digital transformation, the world faces serious cybersecurity risks. This is not unique to Pakistan. In order to combat cybercrime, collaboration is essential. A safer network is a shared responsibility, and we applaud global technology companies like Huawei for partnering with educational institutions to train students in cybersecurity mitigation efforts.
Source: https://www.techlist.pk/uet-taxila-collaborated-with-huawei-for-ict-talent-development/