Microsoft and HEC renew their agreement to boost digital transformation in Pakistan

Microsoft Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) have signed an Education Transformation Agreement (ETA) via a virtual meeting held between Chairman HEC Dr Tariq Banuri and Vice President Education, Microsoft – Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mark East.

The virtual event was also attended by other key executives from both sides to help academic institutions leverage new technologies in the learning process in the country.

On the occasion, Dr Tariq said, “Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges for Educational sector in Pakistan but with the help of Microsoft we have successfully turn them into opportunity and embark on the journey to transform education system through digitalization. ETA with Microsoft depicts our commitments to gearing towards revolutionizing the learning process with number of initiatives. These interventions will introduce modern technological tools to enhance faculty to student interaction at all level and provide easy access to knowledge. This cooperation has long way to go till the fulfillment of Digital Pakistan vision.”

“We have seen how this new normal has completely changed the way we interact with technology. We are witnessing the rise of remote and blended learning solutions by integrating technology in way we teach and educate,” said Jibran Jamshad, Education Lead for Microsoft Pakistan. “With Microsoft 365, Azure and our productivity suite including Microsoft Teams, institutions can keep up with the rapid pace of innovation and design classrooms that foster innovation and inspire students to achieve more.”

Under the ETA framework, Microsoft will be collaborating with local universities to help them build a secure and connected campus, promote latest learning activities and create opportunities for academic research. Some of the programs included under the framework are the student hackathon, technology focused boot camps, imagine cup and multiple online training sessions for 200 plus institutions across Pakistan.