QAU Campus Security Project

QAU Campus Security Project signed
Islamabad, May 14: The Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Analytical Solutions (AS) (Pvt) Ltd on Thursday inked a contract regarding Campus Security Project here on QAU premises.

Cards: Under the contract, the company would provide Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) based security cards to students and staff for limited access to University premises, with the log of individual anywhere in the university.

A public-private partnership mainly based on Build Operate Transfer (PPP - BOT) for the period of five years, the project would facilitate the cross linking of student RFID cards with students' record and web-based reporting on all students logs.

CCTV: Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras would also be installed at various locations to monitor activities within the premises of the university.

SMS: The company will also provide SMS alert service on admissions, semester and examination results along with Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

QAU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai said keeping in view the current security situation it was an important step towards provision of safe and secure environment to students.

"As far as the security of students is concerned we are taking every possible step to ensure that students spend their time in safe and secure educational environment. We are now turning towards all possible options and introduction of RFID cards is a major part of our plan regarding credible security inside the university," he said.

AS CEO Malik Basharat Ahmad Awan said the project concept and technology had been introduced for the first time in Pakistan.

He said AS had already started this project in the schools operating in affected area of Bannu and Nowshera districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

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AIOU learns from ZAB's vision
Islamabad: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) uses technology to the benefit of lower middle and poor class as per the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who paved the way for Asia's first open university in Pakistan.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Javed Laghari said this on Thursday, addressing as a chief guest to the inaugural ceremony of Wi-Fi Wireless Mesh Network at AIOU.

Laghari expressed pleasure to see that AIOU has planned for Urdu e-learning for remote learners through Internet Café or AIOU Regional E-Learning laboratories. He said recently established Educational Broadcast Forum is also a good effort by the university.

Dr Laghari said faculty must continuously learn and re-learn new technologies to stay in global competition. Congratulating Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi, the AIOU vice chancellor, the HEC chairman said that his association with Dr Sangi spans more than 15 years and his appointment as vice-chancellor is a reflection of his continuous endeavours, hard work and commitment to quality education.

Prof Dr Nazir Ahmed Sangi said that WiFi Mesh is made operational at AIOU campuses in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. He said main idea behind the project was to provide campus based internet and digital library support to students and scholars visiting the campus.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen said that no nation could progress without ICT. Daily times

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'Twinkling Tunes': A unique book for children
Islamabad: Eminent writer, poet and English news anchor Shabnam Riaz launched her latest book of poetry 'Twinkling Tunes' at the National Art Gallery on Thursday in a ceremony organised by Pakistan English Forum in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

Enthused with unique cultural and linguistic orientations, the book comes as a unique gift for Pakistani children. Nursery rhymes written in simple words along with colourful drawings done by her own child makes the book all the more interesting.

Published by the National Book Foundation (NBF), 'Twinkling Tunes' is an award-winning manuscript, submitted to the nationwide competition for children's literature held by NBF. With a dearth of good books for children in English, the initiative taken by Shabnam would go a long way in creating a transformative effect on children's literature in Pakistan.

The book contains excellent colourful illustrations and simple day-to-day content that could interest children, as they could easily relate to them. Shabnam has only focused on fun themes rather than overburdening a child's mind with heavy doses of highly moralistic subject matter. Children love humour and animation in book illustrations, and their primary interest in any book is its pictures, and 'Twinkling Tunes' blends both with a motherly touch by Shabnam. From cows to the grumpy mood of the father, from rainbows to butterflies, the book has everything that a child loves.

Education Minister Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali was the chief guest at the launching ceremony, attended by a large gathering of literati, intellectuals, and educationists. He was full of praise for Shabnam's unique effort to add a new dimension to children's literature in Pakistan.

Tauqeer Nasir, Director General PNCA, said Shabnam Riaz has done a commendable service to Pakistani children through her book. The simple notes and tone makes the book all the more interesting and readable by all age groups, he added. He said it is impossible to discuss children's literature at any length without delving into the illustrations, and Shabnam has taken great care to colour her illustrations through the eyes and hands of a child. Tauqeer Nasir said our young generation should read poems written by local writers, so that they might be aware of their own culture and sensibility.

Chairman National Language Authority (NLA) Iftikhar Arif also shared his views on the book and the author, saying that Shabnam's poems are written keeping the points of view regarding children and the issues that concern them. The themes are very different and are designed to provide children with lots of entertainment. The poems are refreshing and humorous and deal with old ladies, who knit so furiously that people can wrap up in the winter. The drawings are colourful, original and captivating. Iftikhar Arif said the book could be a valuable educational tool, and urged all relevant authorities in the educational sector to view this book as an extremely positive addition to schools throughout Pakistan.

Some students of local schools - Irdum Hammad Siddiqui of Joan Macdonald School, Islamabad, and Raja Nehat Khan of OPF Boys College read Shabnam's poems.

Ilona Yusuf and Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui, Editor English Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), also expressed their views on the book. Ilona Yusuf said students across the country should be attracted to read literature by Pakistani English poets. In the nationwide libraries, the books of local writers should be made available along with the books of international writers. The poems included in 'Twinkling Tunes' are fresh in theme and style. She said the Pakistan English Forum deserves to be acknowledged and patronised by the government morally as well as financially, as it is making remarkable efforts for the promotion of writings by English writers and those of Pakistani origin.

Khurram Khiraam Siddiqui said that Shabnam Riaz's newly published collection of poems for children include poems that have music and internal rhythm, and most importantly, they are easy to learn. The quality of being quotable and lyricism are strikingly prominent in these poems. The poems are written in easy language and the poet has deliberately tried to use vocabulary with which the school going kids are familiar.

Sharing her experience and efforts, the author Shabnam Riaz said, "We need to show our children that we, as Pakistanis, do have the capacity to produce nursery rhymes that are home-grown and are culturally relevant. Our children need to feel that the rhymes they are raised on do not have some distant abstract conception, but are rhymes that they can read before going to bed and feel a part of. As our children need homegrown fun and when they relate to books with pictures that talk about life here at home, who knows, some day maybe soon, Pakistani writers can also contribute to the wealth of nursery rhymes and poetry that children fall in love with worldwide."

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Letter-writing competition held
Islamabad: The 39th International Letter Writing Competition 2010 for the young people was organised by Pakistan Post on the Topic 'Writing a letter to someone to explain why it is important to talk about AIDS and to protect yourself against the disease.'

Areeb Mushtaq Ahmad son of Qazi Shahzad Ahmad (class P-6-D) got first position in the competition from the Sadiq Public School, Ahmedpur Road, Bahawalpur.

Aliya Zuberi daughter of Aamir Zuberi (class IX-E) won second position from the Beaconhouse School System, 207-A, Phase 8 DHA, Saba Avenue, Karachi.

Tayyaba Ahmad Nisar son of Nisar Ahmad (class IX) secured third position from Pakistan International Public School and College (Boys) Abbottabad.

The three winners will be awarded cash prizes worth Rs20,000, Rs10,000 and Rs5,000 respectively along with postage Stamps Albams as well as a certificate on the occasion of the World Post Day, October 9. The best letter of Areeb Mushtaq has been sent to the International Bureau of Universal Postal Union (UPU), Berne, Switzerland for inclusion in the competition organised by the Unesco.

The Unesco will select three best entries amongst those submitted to it by all the postal Administrations. The news

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IIUI remembers Ho Chi Minh
Islamabad: The International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) in collaboration with Pakistan ASEAN Friendship Association organised anniversary of Hochi Minh, national hero of Vietnam, on Thursday.

Minister for Science and Technology Dr M Azam Khan Swati was the chief guest while Vietnam Ambassador Nguyen Viet Hung was the guest of honour. IIUI President Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui also spoke. Teachers and a number of students attended the ceremony. Daily times

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