13 varsities to be turned into ‘smart campuses’

Govt plans to install HD cameras with facial recognition at universities

ISLAMABAD: The government is set to turn 13 public sector universities across the country into ‘smart campuses’ by the end of the year.

The programme aims to install Wi-Fi facilities at varsities to provide free wireless internet access for students, faculty and researchers. Additionally, monitoring systems will be deployed which would allow the institutes to access, monitor and manage their respective wireless network.

The project, which covers a total of 94 public sector varsities, was conceived last year and included in the Public Sector Development Programme for fiscal year 2015-16.



Starting with a delay owing to equipment procurement issues, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has installed the system at the Khyber Medical University in Peshawar, the Sindh Madrassatul Islam University and Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Karachi, IBA Sukkur, Women University in Multan and the Bahria University in Islamabad.

Additionally, the system has also been installed at the HEC offices in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.



“We plan to convert seven universities into smart campuses every three months,” HEC spokesperson Aayesha Ikram told The Express Tribune.

For the second phase, seven other varsities have been earmarked for conversion including the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Islamabad, University of Haripur in Haripur, Islamia University in Bahawalpur, Karakorum International University in Gilgit, University of Gujrat in Gujrat, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Sciences and Technology in Nawabshah and the BUITM in Quetta



Safe campus

Keeping in mind the prevailing security situation in the country, the government is also implementing a ‘Safe Campus’ project under which high definition cameras and intelligent video analysis systems will be installed at the main entry and exit points, perimeters, parking lots and corridors of campuses.

The system aims to improve overall law and order situation by utilising the monitoring equipment.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2016.