HEC & Microsoft Launches Largest Free Skills Initiative For 1 Lakh Students

An Education Transformation Agreement (ETA) was signed between Microsoft Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) last year to help educational institutions use modern technology during the learning process. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Microsoft have renewed the Education Transformation Agreement (ETA) in Pakistan with a magnanimous launch announcing 100,000 free Technology skills certifications for University Students across Pakistan.

Microsoft and HEC collaborated to rethink the education landscape, empower the next generation of students and bridge the gap between knowledge and employability. The partnership is supposed to ensure that Microsoft would be providing several services to all higher educational institutions (HEIs) in leveraging new technologies to make learning inclusive, personalized, and student-centric through knowledge transfer workshops and training on trending Microsoft technologies like Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Azure.

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer graced the event as the chief guest whereas the event was opened by Chairman Higher Education Commission, Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, and Jibran Jamshed, Country Lead for Jordan, Lebanon, and Pakistan. On this occasion, the federal minister said, such partnerships with companies like Microsoft empower the students to use their creativity in addressing real societal problems using Modern Technology and help us bring them to par with the rest of the world.

Chairman HEC Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that Microsoft had been very helpful in nurturing creative minds through its Global Competition of Imagine Cup where the participants practically implement their ideas into successful start-ups and turn them into companies.

“It is a proud moment for HEC that our talent gets exposure at such global platforms. Our students do not only get the opportunity to present their ideas at an international level, but they have successfully brought laurels for Pakistan as well”

Jibran Jamshed, Country Education Lead for Jordan, Lebanon, and Pakistan said that today, technology was the key to fueling economic development, increasing workforce competitiveness, transitioning to a knowledge-based economy, and helping drive job creation. The single most important use of technology is to improve education and yet in many countries in the world, we have not yet seen a digital transformation in education. We are proud to partner with HEC which shares the same vision and understand how critical it is to pace up with the Digital Transformation of Education happening across the globe, he expressed.  Lead for Microsoft Pakistan Mr. Jibran Jamshed said:

“We know that technology is a key to fueling economic development, increasing workforce competitiveness, transitions to a knowledge-based economy, and helping drive job creation. The single most important use of technology is to improve education and yet in many countries in the world, we have not yet seen a digital transformation in education. Change requires strong partnerships and trust. Under HEC’s visionary leadership, the aim of this ETA is to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation and design classrooms that foster reform and inspire students to achieve a plethora of success.”

The event was attended by several renowned Vice Chancellors, educators, students, academicians, and partners where accomplishments of previous years of the partnership were highlighted and the next vision of the digital transformation of the education system in Pakistan was shared.

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