Education brings prosperity, says Zobaida

The Vice chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Altaf Hussain on Wednesday inaugurated two building blocks comprising 32 residential apartments for AIOU employees.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor said that the residential project which cost Rs 40 million would save Rs 3 million annually as hiring amount given to the employees. These apartments had been built for the teachers and officials of the university from grade 17 to 20.
Federal Minster for education Zobaida Jalal who was to inaugurate the AIOU building blocks, said in a message, that education had brought progress and prosperity to any nation, as low literacy rate was the reason of our backwardness. The university had earned a name in distance learning in the region.
She extended full co-operation of the ministry to AIOU in acquiring land in Balochistan for its campuses there.
Inaugurating the building blocks, Altaf Hussain stated that residential facilities for the employees in grades 11 to 16 would be provided soon in the university campus and Blocks 3 and 4 would be completed by November 2004.
He said that Allama Iqbal Open University was the largest University of Pakistan, with an enrolment above 0.6 million in more than 1000 educational courses.
He said that regional campus for Peshawar would be inaugurated in September. Their next targets were the extension of Lahore regional campus and construction of Faisalabad Campus, he added.
Speaking about the building of Attaur Rahman Complex, he said it would be a multi-purpose building, having auditorium for 1000 persons, lecture halls, laboratories, cafeteria, gymnasium, rooms for faculty members and " Student teachers centers".
He informed that "Attaur Rehman Complex" would be completed by March 2005. It would have 26 labs.
He further informed that university got the plot for Turbat campus in Balochistan at a cost of Rs 90,000 through the good offices of the Minister for Education Zubaida Jalal.
Regional offices would be constructed when the university got proper place, he added.
In her message read out at the ceremony, the minister had assured her support for the approval of "Vision/PC-1", land for regional campuses and more funds from HEC.
She appreciated the university's effort for enhancement of distance education, which was recognised in neighbouring SAARC countries Bangladesh and Nepal.