ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has formally started implementing a comprehensive plan to strengthen and upgrade it 44 regional offices to improve quality of education and provide best possible services to its 1.3 million students. To evaluate the process of implementation, a two-day conference of regional Directors of KPK and Gilgit and Baltistan was held in Abbottabad on Sunday. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui while inaugurating the conference announced that all the regional offices will be given extra support by meeting their financial, technical and human-resource requirements, enabling them to meet their target of maximum students’ enrollment and strengthening support system. He advised the regional offices to lay greater focus on quality education and consolidating the university’s role as a research-based organization.
They, he added should adopt a pro-active approach to provide best possible services to the students in term of admissions, issuance of certificates and degrees and timely mailing of books and allied material. He assured that the employees’ strength will be increased at the regional level to handle the growing workload. In this connection, existing vacant vacancies will be filed soon. The building infrastructure will be strengthened, along with necessary security arrangements including provision of boundary wall and cctv cameras.
Dr. Shahid Siddiqui shared the participants the four areas of priorities that include promotion of research culture, professional development, revision of text-books and strengthening students’ support system. A comprehensive professional development is being implemented for the capacity-building of the employees, enabling them to deliver the best. He hoped that the regional campuses could lay special focus on maximum utilization of the available technology for meeting the requirements of distance education. They should also work hard for the development of knowledge, skills and attitude to bring about qualitative improvement in the university’s overall working. The vice-chancellor appreciated the efforts of regional directors for consolidating the available educational facilitating and students’ related facilities. During the conference, a training course on Management, Accounts and Information Technology was also conducted for the capacity-building of the participants.
The participants gave presentation on academic situation of their respective regions and departments, with their recommendations for ensuring best possible educational services at the door-step of the people. Earlier, Director Regional Service Arif Saleemi briefed the participants about the steps taken during the last one year to further strengthening of regional network.=DNA
