Smart, Save University Project Inaugurated At Bannu University

The Vice Chancellor of the Bannu University Professor Dr. Engr. Pir Syed Abid Ali Shah Saturday inaugurated the Smart and Save University Project initiated by Higher Education Commission in all across Pakistan in 2015

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2019 ) :The Vice Chancellor of the Bannu University Professor Dr. Engr. Pir Syed Abid Ali Shah Saturday inaugurated the Smart and Save University Project initiated by Higher Education Commission in all across Pakistan in 2015.

The project cost Rs. 477 million. Smart Education is a concept around transformation of conventional way of pedagogy to contemporary methods using information and communication technologies.

The project was part of the recent initiative of the government to award laptop to students on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Accordingly, half a million (500,000) laptops are being awarded amongst the students including 2-in-1 detachable laptops. These 2-in-1 detachable laptops will help students in their learning activities through Touch-screen, Tablet feature of these devices.

Moreover, for ubiquitous computing, Higher Education Commission has taken the initiative of Smart Campuses under which blanket WiFi coverage is being provided as to complement the initiative of Smart Bags, i.e.

Laptops.

Following this transformational approach, the natural next step is the introduction of Smart Classrooms at each university.

The Smart Classrooms strategy is a learning initiative that assists educators to make ICT integral to learning.

The strategy is about engaging the digital generation, improving individualized learning opportunities, sparking innovation in learning, enhancing teachers' digital pedagogy and getting the best from the ICT investments.

Smart Classrooms represents a focus on re-orienting HEIs structures and business processes around individual students and their learning needs.

The VC Bannu university said the ultimate objective of all these initiatives is "Transformation towards Smart Universities" leading towards "Smart Education".

He said tool of communication would lead to the students to have education on modern lines.

He added that under the project 100 public sector universities would soon be equipped with the most advanced WiFi technology providing wireless blanket coverage across campuses, enabling users to freely access internet in all open and indoor areas with minimum of 60 per cent of signal strength, power backup units (UPSs) for 24x7 services and achievable data rate of 10Mbps to each user.

This would be done under a three-year 'Smart Universities Project' launched in June 2015, by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and would be implemented by Cisco in collaboration with Commtel.

The VC said, the Rs two billion project will also provide support of Eduroam services to enable students and faculty free access internet, while visiting any other university in the country or universities abroad offering Eduroam services.

Eduroam or education roaming is an international roaming service that provides students and faculty an easy and secure network access while visiting an institution other than their own.

Students would have to use the same credentials provided to them by their home institution to access the network locally, while authorization to access the Internet and possibly other resources was handled by the visited institution, he informed adding, all services would be free of cost.

The service is provided at the local level by the participating institutions (universities, colleges, research institutes etc).

At national level it is organized by National Roaming Operators and in Pakistan, the Pakistan Research and Education Networks (PERN), a research and education network launched in 2002, will provide it.

Professor Dr. Engr. Pir Syed Abid Ali Shah also lauded the team led by Director ITRC Nasir Gul for their services and dedication which timely completed the project.

He also lauded Director General IT of HEC for the project, aimed to help students and researchers in their research and learning opportunities.