Modern techniques: IT virtually reduces world to global village, UAF VC says

Says knowledge is a single click away from users.

FAISALABAD: Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), says the use of information technology has become prerequisite for learning and teaching system and to ensure transparency and efficiency in management and governance.

He said this while speaking to The Express Tribune on Friday. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan is a Pakistani agricultural scientist and a professor of horticulture at UAF. He is serving as a vice-chancellor since February 27, 2008. During his tenure, he introduced new methods of teaching and learning to bring reforms in education sector.

There are numerous research papers and projects to his credit. Since becoming head of a prestigious institution, Dr Iqrar had made UAF one of the leading universities in Pakistan.

He had always supported new and modern techniques of learning so that students could gain information and enhance their abilities.

While highlighting the importance of IT, he said, “IT has gained immense popularity and turned the world into a global village. Now, knowledge is a single click away from the users.”

He added the UAF was working on introducing hybrid courses. “In the modern world, it is imperative to adopt technology for teaching to maintain the interest of students,” he said.

The vice-chancellor maintained the University was setting up teacher resource center for equipping the teachers with modern trends. He said the varsity had introduced open online courses and students could find lectures on the internet.

Dr Iqrar pointed out, “Computer sciences has emerged as the largest department of the varsity with 2,500 students in the four BS programmes, MSc and MS programmes.”

He added that a state-of-the-art new building for the Computer Science department was being established. He said the UAF also planned to establish a digital E-library for the students so that they can get benefit from it.

He stressed the need to learn modern tools and come up with innovative and unique ideas to prove their mettle. He said, “In the modern era, it is not possible to achieve developmental goals without the assistance and promotion of information technology.”

He lauded the steps being taken on the part of the government for the promotion of IT. He said that the UAF had developed different android applications for the farming community. He urged the computer scientists to develop more apps relating to agriculture and economy.

He said that the UAF had developed IT fertiliser model for the balance usage of inputs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2017.