SWABI, Nov 3: The Pakistan Telecommunications Company would provide more scholarships to students from earthquake-hit areas and focus on female literacy. The scholarships would be paid under the corporation’s research and development fund programme.

This was stated by general manager of PTCL’s R&D Fund Nelofar Arshad during a visit to the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology.

“We have given top priority to applied education. The corporation will provide scholarships to achieve the goal ... After the earthquake wiped out infrastructure in many areas, these regions need more attention.”

She said that imparting quality education was one of the priorities, adding that PTCL wanted to ensure education to girls in rural areas.

The programme, she said, was aimed at boosting research and development in information technology and telecommunication.

She said that while there was no limit, the total fund for scholarships and research projects could not be revealed.

Earlier, she gave a presentation to the academic staff of the GIK Institute about the scholarship programme, research projects and grants, seminars and workshops, student training programme and grants for human resource development.

She said that the main objectives of the programme were strengthening of applied research and institutionalisation of research, development of relevant industry, improving linkages between academia and research and development institutions and the domestic industry for transforming research into products.

Project grants would be provided for any area of science and engineering and would be provided for a period of up to three years - renewable every year based on performance.