15 October 2004	Friday	29 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan has directed constitution of a body to look into the proposals and subsequent consultancy for establishing a world class IT and telecom research institute in the federal capital.

"Due to rapid growth in the field of telecommunications in general and wireless telecommunications in particular, there is an urgent need to enhance the human resource base within the country that can take advantage of the telecom infrastructure being installed in the country," he said while chairing a meeting of the PTCL's Research and Development Fund here on Thursday.

Federal IT Secretary Khalid Saeed, ministry's Member Telecom Noorduddin Baqai and PTCL President Junaid Iqbal Khan were also present on the occasion. The minister said the cost of consultancy for setting up a world class university would be funded by the R&D Fund of the PTCL which already possessed enough land in the capital to house a top-of-the-line university.

He observed that currently there were only few national universities offering degree level courses in telecommunications and related engineering subjects. "However, these suffer from the fact that they are not research oriented, and are aimed more at producing engineers that can find jobs in telecom operations and other support functions," he said.

He said the R&D Fund was also providing financial assistance for carrying out research and development activity in a vast array of sectors and disciplines but setting up a world class telecom university would be an ideal project to be financed by the R&D Fund.

"We have the will and determination to make available all necessary resources to see a top-ranking university emerging in the capital in the next couple of years," he said.

He said the consultant to be hired very shortly would be given the task to develop within 12 weeks the most optimal strategy that should be adopted to set up a world class telecom institute in Pakistan.

It would also make alternative recommendations on how a world class telecom institute could be set up and made operational within the shortest possible time. The consultant would also present options on how to initially fund and subsequently run the institute. Possible partnerships with international universities as well as telecom companies that operate globally will also be presented.

The report will examine the existing institutes and universities in the country, with particular emphasis on the ICT training institute that has been set up by the PTCL and will also make recommendations on how to maximize the synergies that exist within these institutions.