Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, called on the Governor of Sindh, Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi, at Governor House, Karachi. Alongside Governor Sindh, the Minister also attended the Fintech Roundtable 2026, where she engaged with leading industry figures on advancing digital financial services and strengthening Pakistan’s fintech ecosystem, discussing key policy matters and priorities for sectoral growth.
Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja also witnessed the signing of a contract between the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and NED University of Engineering & Technology, formally establishing NED as the Lead University for the South Region under the Semiconductor Education & Research Cluster (SERC) — alongside NUST (North Region) and ESUPAK-UET Lahore (Central Region).
The signing completes all SERC institutional agreements under the National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program (NSHRDP)/INSPIRE, formally establishing Pakistan’s three regional semiconductor education and research clusters within the program’s first year.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that the signing marked a significant milestone in Pakistan’s journey to build a globally competitive semiconductor ecosystem. She noted that the current SERC intake is set to train 270 students across Pakistan in three regions, as part of a broader national target to develop over 7,200 semiconductor professionals by 2030. “Under INSPIRE, we are not just training students — we are laying the foundation for Pakistan to become a competitive player in the global semiconductor value chain,” she added.
In his remarks, Governor Sindh Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi highlighted that the agreement reaffirmed government’s commitment to building a knowledge-based economy. He expressed confidence that the partnership would play a significant role in preparing the youth for the opportunities of the global semiconductor industry.
With all three SERC clusters now formally established, INSPIRE moves into full-scale implementation, setting the stage for a new generation of Pakistani semiconductor talent to drive the country’s digital and economic future.
