Knowledge Factory: A step towards New Age education

The Knowledge Factory promises to make education and character building fun.


Hani Taha January 02, 2012

LAHORE:


Despite the fact that Lahore has been the seat of culture in the country and had an enviable social calendar once, replete with plays and concerts, certain inertia has set in with the change of the general dynamics of in the country. The public spaces that once offered a ground for creative expression for young people and the young at heart are no longer there.


However, recently Karachi discovered a haven for such activity with ‘The Second Floor’ (T2F), while Lahore remained parched till a creative space like ‘The Knowledge Factory’ (TKF) opened up last year in June 2011. The project is a brainchild of vibrant television personality Ayesha Alam and her partners Saad Tariq and Pir Omer Shah. The Express Tribune catches up with the team to discover if TKF can be T2F for Lahore.

How did TKF come to life?

The venture is an outcome of three individuals’ dedication to social enterprise and the willingness to establish a socially and economically beneficial platform.  It is a learning centre which also serves as a place to carry out various events and activities.  Along with this, we hope to become a social networking forum.

I remember how the events and workshops held at The British Council and how the well stocked libraries — that we no longer have access to — helped in shaping my persona. With TKF we hope to provide a similar space for people today.

What was the strategy behind TKF?

The simple formula we have adopted is that we hired individuals who were established and in their fields, and are creative and engaging enough to reach out to students. These mentors are expected to help students build or reform their concepts.

This engagement strategy simply relies on the fact that the more an individual is interested in a topic, the keener he or she will be to learn it.  Schools such as Newlands and TNS in Lahore (using parallel schooling system) with their touch screen technologies and project-based learning also follow this philosophy. The new International Baccalaureate (IB) system in Europe follows a similar philosophy, but we are yet to see how Lahore responds to these ventures.

I must add that we are not an NGO or a charity organisation. This runs as a business and there is no reason why business and good works can’t go hand in hand.

How is TKF different from T2F in Karachi?

I was not even familiar with T2F in Karachi and Kuch Khaas in Islamabad until people started comparing TKF to these centres. TKF hopes to conduct seminars, conferences and Q&A sessions. The similarity of acronyms between these three learning centres is purely a coincidence.

What kind of courses/activities is TKF offering that is unique to Lahore?

Critical Thinking, instructed by Nabiha Sheikh. The course also has movies, games, books and activities to polish the students’ reasoning and analytical skills.  This is both available for students going to college as well as working professionals.

Creative Writing, which also has the ‘learn through fun’ elements and is a great exploration of one’s imaginative and creative side is being taught by Mashal Peerzada.

SAT/GRE preparations. Spread over two months, this course will not only help students achieve a high score, but will also enhance their reasoning and analytical skills.

Career and College Counseling;  we have a qualified counselor for those who want an honest and educated opinion.

Open Mic, where amateur artists come and get to perform for seven minutes on stage.  There are a few other places in Lahore doing open mic nights, but the content as well as interactivity at TKF makes it just the right blend of homely and commercial.

Art Bazaar; budding or even professional artists get a chance to display their work.  In our bazaar/mela/exhibition sort of events, we also provide feedback, guidance, promotion and publicity.  These events also serve as a platform for practical entrepreneurial experience and fashion showcases.

Will you expand to other cities in the Punjab like Faisalabad and Sialkot?

Yes we would like to, but first we need to get this ship sailing before any expansion can take place.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2012.

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