Promoting education: Digital library to be set up at UAF, says VC

Rs1.3 billion will be spent on digital library, information centre project.


Our Correspondent May 09, 2015
University of Agriculture in Faisalabad. PHOTO: UAF.EDU.PK

FAISALABAD: A digital library and information centre will be set up at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) at the cost of Rs1.3 billion, Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan said on Saturday.

He was addressing a training workshop organised by the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Pakistan Institute of Information and Computer Technology in Development (PIID) Chief Executive Ammar Jafari and ORIC Director Asif Ali also spoke on the occasion.

“It is the era of information technology. The world has become a global village. We are taking steps to benefit from technology as well. Professional education is necessary to excel nowadays,” he said.

He said that the UAF had developed a model to provide information about balanced use of fertiliser to farmers. “The farmers will be able to get information and experts’ recommendation about the use of fertilisers from the website,” he said.

“We are actively working on the idea of Zarai Baithak. A site, zaraibaithak.com, has been set up to provide solutions to agriculture-related problems by using information technology,” he said.

Jafari said that more than 60 per cent of the country’s population comprised the youth. “If we give them proper training, the country can make rapid progress. They are our future,” he said.

He said that the PIID was making efforts to link the rural population with online information systems. “We have launched an e-village project to enhance the capacity of the people especially in villages,” he said.

He said that the project was meant to empower local communities. “Establishment of an e-community centre in every village will provide a joint platform to farmers to discuss problems,” he said.

He said that the project would be launched on August 14, 2015. Ali said that the adoption of the ICT in agriculture sector was needed to deal with food insecurity.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2015.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ