Information technology: Latest technology inevitable for development, says official

International workshop on application of ICTs kicks off .

ISLAMABAD:

“If a nation wishes to develop and grow at fast pace, it has to opt for the latest technologies that are creating headways.” This was stated by Planning Commission of Pakistan Member Tahir Hijazi on Monday while inaugurating a two-day international workshop on “Applications of ICTs in Education, Healthcare and Agriculture” at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT).

The event aims to highlight the potential for ICTs in revolutionising various sectors of the economy.

Participants of the workshop from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) member states have gathered to deliberate on ways to build competitiveness amid growing challenges of globalisation and rapid technological change.

The workshop sessions cover various applications of ICTs in education, healthcare and agriculture.

At the workshop, scholars from Pakistan, Morocco, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan and Bangladesh, shared their experiences and expertise in light of their projects and initiatives.

The two technical sessions proceeding the inaugural session covered talks focusing on ICTs for modern skill acquisition, diffusion of ICTs in early schooling, digital watermarking systems for e-education, monitoring and learning education scenarios in Senegal, persuasive techniques for effective education, COMSATS’ tele-health initiative, use of cellular services for healthcare, a Tanzanian tele-health case study, dengue monitoring in Pakistan, and psychotherapy through digitisation.

COMSATS Executive Director Dr Imtinan Elahi Qureshi noted that the world had gone through an IT revolution in recent years. He believed there were three major aspects to it --- IT ecosystems, accessibility, and content.

CIIT Rector Dr Junaid Zaidi noted that the organisers had wisely chosen the theme of the workshop, which could help improve the socioeconomic conditions of masses. Earlier, in an introduction to the event, its various themes, and expected outcomes were touched upon by CIIT Faculty of Information Sciences and Technology Dean Dr Sajjad Mohsin.

The workshop has jointly been organised by the CIIT, COMSATS, Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), and Inter Islamic Network on Information Technology (INIT). It will conclude today (Tuesday) with a technical session on ICTs for agriculture.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2014.