INP-WealthPk
Young Students Get Training in Emerging Technologies
March 22, 2022
By Hifsa Raja ISLAMABAD, March 22 (INP-WealthPK): Providing support and future directions to university students and teachers in using technology and emerging trends is critical for strengthening Pakistan’s footprint in the technologically-advanced world, said Abdul Majeed Soomro, Director General of National Institute of Electronics (NIE). Talking to WealthPK, he stressed the need for the young generation to keep up with an ever-changing technological landscape. He said that NIE had signed memoranda of understanding with Bahria University, Islamabad, Foundation University, National University of Modern Languages, and Preston University, Kohat, to make students and teachers well-versed in emerging technologies. According to him, a strong foundation in both theoretical and practical knowledge is critical to students' success. He believed that proper training and technical knowledge was very important to equip the students to compete in the international market. Majeed Soomro said currently the NIE was providing training to 10-15 students from the universities with which it had signed the MoUs. “Mostly the final year students are being given training as they already have the technological know-how. They need real-world projects where they can put their skills to work. Technical knowledge along with required skills can make projects successful,” he explained. He said that duration of the training was from six weeks to two months. The NIE director general informed WealthPK that the training initiative was part of the internship programme for students launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Majeed Soomro emphasised the need for students to learn Internet of Things because of its increasing demand. “Imparting IoT skills to students is a priority. NIE is helping students cover the difficult journey from idea to product with ease.” He said aside from producing prototypes for research and development, NIE was also aiding students in creating their enterprises by providing them with technical assistance. NIE, he added, was helping students practically shape their ideas. “Local manufacturers are also seeking advice and assistance from the institute's experts because of their expertise and experience.” He said that the Higher Education Commission had bound the universities to set up office of research, innovation and commercialisation (ORIC) to support the students and teachers in handling the technical issues and in registering the patents. The NIE director general said that it was encouraging students to learn technical skills due to their high demand in market. “Integrated circuit design is in high demand, so we are encouraging students to master the talent. The integrated circuit has revolutionised electronic engineering because of the widespread use of microchips, which has helped deliver advanced electronics to all corners of the globe.” Majeed Soomro said that mastering printed circuit board, which is to know about how to fabricate the chips, would enable the students to turn circuit board drawings into physical constructions.
