Iqra University successfully hosted a five-day Capacity Building Training Program on Open and Distance Learning (ODL) from December 1 to 5, 2025. The chief guests of the program were Mr Nasir Shah, Director General (Quality Assurance), HEC and Mr Sulaiman Ahmed, In-charge, HEC Regional Centre Karachi.
This initiative was conducted under Component 4 of the Pak–UK Education Gateway Project and
jointly organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Allama Iqbal Open
University (AIOU). The program brought together experienced resource persons and
representatives from leading higher education institutions, marking an important step toward
strengthening national capacity in ODL.
Iqra University’s Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) hosted this session under the guidance of
Prof. Dr Nassar Ikram, Vice Chancellor of Iqra University, whose valuable insights on education
and digital transformation greatly shaped the direction and success of the program.
The program was formally inaugurated by Prof. Dr Nasir Mahmood, Vice Chancellor, AIOU.
who highlighted the critical need for preparing Pakistan’s higher education sector for
technology-enabled, flexible, and future-oriented learning models. He emphasised the
importance of collaborative efforts in enhancing the country’s readiness for modern Open and
Distance Learning frameworks.
The training aimed to enhance the competencies of university faculty and administrative staff in
essential domains of distance and digital education. Sessions were held daily from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m., providing participants with hands-on exposure to best practices and emerging trends
in course and content development, instructional planning, design and delivery, assessment, and
evaluation, ICT systems and infrastructure for ODL, as well as quality assurance mechanisms in
distance learning. The initiative aligns strongly with the HEC ODL Policy 2024 and supports
Iqra University’s commitment to capacity building, professional development, and institutional
digital transformation.
The program benefited greatly from the active contributions of distinguished resource persons:
Dr Zahid Majeed (AIOU), who actively participated throughout the sessions, Prof. Dr Mohsin
Javed (Virtual University of Pakistan) and Dr Waseem (ULearn), who shared innovative
solutions for online education. Moreover, Mr. Rizvi also contributed significant insights and perspectives during the discussions.
The closing ceremony was graced by Mr Nasir Shah, Director General (Quality Assurance),
HEC, and Mr Sulaiman Ahmed, In-charge, HEC Regional Centre Karachi. Both dignitaries
appreciated Iqra University’s effective coordination in hosting this national-level program and
commended the dedication of participants and resource persons. They expressed confidence that
such initiatives will greatly contribute to strengthening Pakistan’s distance education ecosystem
and expanding access to flexible learning opportunities.
