Page 56 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Pakistan to Collaborate with Google Cloud and TechValley

Federal Minister for Information be accessed through the data available at of June 2022, he said, Pakistan Railways
Technology and Telecommunication Syed Google Cloud and other digital platforms. would become a profitable public sector
Aminul Haq announced that 5G service He said Pakistan could greatly benefit by entity through technological solutions
would be launched by next December, helping its students and professionals in environment-friendly transportation,
while initially Beep, a mobile chat platform join the global digital club of knowledge increased passenger and freight trains,
like WhatsApp, would be introduced for and ensure their access to the academic checking scrap theft and outsourcing
the government employees. The Minister lectures of international standards. Federal of dry ports. Managing Director Google
made this announcement while addressing Minister for Education and Professional Cloud for Asia Pacific Paul Wilson, in his
a ceremony at the Digital Government Training Shafqat Mehmood said after the video address from Singapore, said Google
Summit, held here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Covid-19, the canvas of the education was collaborating with public agencies to
While sharing the government’s vision system in Pakistan was changed with the support economic development aligned to
of a Digital Pakistan, he said his Ministry introduction of distant learning through the situations, especially during Covid-19.
would collaborate with Google Cloud and television and radio schools. He pointed He expressed pleasure that the government
TechValley in adopting the cutting-edge out the challenge of “digital divide” and said of Pakistan was endeavoring to achieve
technology in areas including block- focus would be laid on ensuring e-learning better outcomes across the public sector
chain technology, artificial intelligence, facilities to the students in remote areas through employee productivity and
finding industrial solutions and building for an access to academic lectures and effective agency operations. He mentioned
smart cities. Taking the challenge of teachers’ training. He said the Ministry that Google expertise could be applied to
COVID-19 lockdown as an opportunity, of Education was working with Google build government solutions in streamlining
he said, his Ministry took the steps to Cloud and TechValley to launch a project workflows, intelligent transportation,
improve connectivity in ensuring facilities in Islamabad based on the concept of health and human services platform,
in education, health and finance. He said blended technology by experimenting with smart and sustainable cities and the
that 100 million people at present were smart boards, tablets and smart phones as remote office and finance platforms. CEO
using broadband facilities, adding that a per different age groups. Also, the lectures TechValley Pakistan Umer Farooq said
spectrum auction was an option to gain of Khan Academy are being translated into as a partner with Google Cloud and the
US$ 1 billion. President Dr. Arif Alvi said Urdu for facilitation of students, he added. Ministry of IT, his company was promoting
with timely decisions and preparedness Federal Minister for Railways Senator the culture of technology to pave the
on digitalization, Pakistan could make Azam Khan Swati said Pakistan Railways way towards economic development.
great strides in technological revolution. was heading on the path of digitalization He mentioned that TechValley had so far
“Pakistan will be catapulted in the era of and productivity as Google Cloud and trained 8,000 professionals and conducted
technological advancement if it keeps TechValley had introduced cutting-edge 5,000 workshops on areas such as access
making fast decisions to join the global technology to make the institution an to world class services, industry solutions,
digital journey.” President Alvi said in emerging public department. By the end and real-time analytics.
the age of information overload, it was
important for countries like Pakistan
to adopt innovative data management
tools offered by Google Cloud and find
solutions for public services. He said
the global pandemic made digitalization
imperative for the delivery of public
services including education, healthcare,
transportation, security surveillance
and building smart cities. “The future
is changing faster than you think…The
digital evolution is imminent,” he said,
stressing the importance of pursuing the
government’s vision of a Digital Pakistan.
In the education sector, he said, the
information and academic knowledge
was no longer limited to books, but could

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