FAISALABAD: Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) has formally launched the much awaited “Cyberabad” project to transform Faisalabad from Textile City to “Tech & Style” by exploiting the potential of Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Addressing the orientation session of Cyberabad, Dr Amjad Saqib Chairman Akhuwat Foundation said that we could open new avenues of progress and prosperity by producing competent IT entrepreneurs by clubbing the art of AI and IT with entrepreneurship.

He was optimistic that the trained manpower would establish their own billion-dollar companies to put Pakistan on a growth trajectory. He pointed out four major hurdles for the promotion of AI at grass root level and said that there is an acute dearth of willing and enthusiastic students.

“Similarly, the IT courses offered by different educational institutions are not aligned with the practical needs of the industrial sector”, he said and added that we are also handicapped in getting qualified teachers fully conversant with the fast changing scenario of IT and AI. He further said that placement of passed-out students would be yet another challenge for us.

Dr Amjad Saqib offered six-month free training to the competent and willing students and requested Dr Khurram Tariq President FCCI to provide them 50 dedicated and ambitious students as the Akhuwat would bear their boarding, lodging, recreation and other expenditure.

However, he requested the ministry of IT to provide them with only two competent teachers to accomplish this nation building task. About Akhuwat, he said that this project was initiated with only 100 dollars and now we are disbursing one billion dollars among 6 million needy families across the country.

Earlier, President FCCI Dr Khurram Tariq assured to provide the first cohort of 50 students including special children. He said that two years ago, he had announced plan to transform Faisalabad from textile city to “tech and style city” immediately after taking over the charge of the President FCCI.

Rehan Naseem Bharara newly elected President FCCI paid rich tributes to the vision of Dr Khurram Tariq and said that it would be a privilege for him to continue this epoch-making project during his tenure.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024