Disaster relief: AIOU, Red Crescent to develop volunteer force

The drive aims at involving students during natural disasters

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s largest distance learning institute has joined hands with a relief organisation to promote volunteerism among students and motivate them to take part in disaster management, said a press release.

The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) will develop a volunteer force to involve students during natural disasters, Dr Saeed Elahi, chairman PRCS, announced at a seminar on management skills for professionals here on Tuesday.

The two sides had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard.



“The volunteer force has since risen to 1.7 million and we hope that within the next two years, it will reach 5 million”, he said.

The seminar was organised by the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) of the university.

Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that the university had also started three new public service initiatives — expanding educational facilities for prisoners, setting up an accessibility centre for the visually impaired, and collaborating with NAB in its anti-corruption campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2015.