Pak students awarded second prize at Huawei ME ICT Skills competition

LAHORE (PR): Huawei conducted "Huawei Middle East ICT Skills Contest - Final" in Shenzhen headquarters. 13 college student teams from 10 countries and totally 39 students participated in the finals. Pakistan was represented by two teams (six students) participating in the finals this year, after they successfully distinguished themselves from over 7,000 students from more than 50 higher educational institutes all over Pakistan. They performed well in the finals, and both teams eventually finished at second position. They are Team 1: Ayyaz Ahmed and Muhammad Zubair of University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, and Noor Muhammad Malik of National University of Science and Technology Islamabad. Team 2: Shamim Iqbal from Virtual University, Fatima Rashid of University of Engineering and Technology Lahore and Shariq Malik from Lahore Garrison University.

Winning students visited Huawei labs at its headquarters and ICT Academy during their seven days sponsored tour to China. They were also awarded free Huawei certification vouchers, certificates, Huawei mobile phones and other giveaways as a token of appreciation for their excellent performance in the finals.

 THAAP collaborates with Institute of Art and Culture

LAHORE (PR): Within the framework of the UNESCO-Republic of Korea Funds in Trust project “"Sustainable Development and Community Involvement Initiatives for the Implementation of World Heritage Convention" UNESCO World Heritage Center and UNESCO Islamabad initiated a project to enhance the role of communities in safeguarding and conservation of the world heritage sites. The participating location where the project was implemented was Pakistan (Makli/Thatta & Lahore) and Bangladesh (Paharpur).

In Lahore, THAAP in collaboration with the Institute of Art and Culture opted to engage with the core community of the Ustads (tradition bearers) and practitioners and along with the Institute teachers and THAAP experts explored ways and means to enhance the relevance of the traditional building crafts in the contemporary world, in addition to their need in the conservation and restoration at the heritage sites.

The exhibition at the culmination of the capacity building initiatives carried out over the last 3 months is a testimonial to the Ustad-Shagirds and the Institute’s faculty. Works on display are from the Lahore Workshop and the parallel workshop that was simultaneously held in Multan. On display is also the work of the 11 Ustads who participated in this endeavor who are acknowledged masters of Khatati, Naqqashi, Pinjrakari and Kashikari and Geometry.

The organizers were conscious of the need to create a nexus between the traditional knowledge and skills and the knowledge acquired from the contemporary sources in order to mainstream the past practices.  Also,

it was important to develop pedagogies and methodologies which would take cognizance of both the traditional and the formal tertiary methods in this pilot initiative, but in a manner that the knowledge and skills of the traditional building crafts would remain intact. A new visual language would emerge which would be more in keeping with the modern day trends, creating a demand that would produce more livelihood opportunities for the Ustads and practitioners.

 PR initiates junior, senior internship programmes

LAHORE (PR): After the successful completion of two batches of senior internship programs and one batch of junior internship programme, Punjab Revenue Authority has again initiated junior and senior internship programmes. Interns were selected from numerous institutes like LUMS, FAST, Beaconhouse University and The City School and they shall be trained for a period of 2 weeks, in which they shall not only make valuable contributions to ongoing projects within the organization but also shall be given short assignments enabling them to apply their theoretical knowledge to real problems.

 Through the internship program, the students shall be given opportunity to render valuable social services while performing various tasks enabling them to apply their skills in creation of tax awareness. The students shall not only contribute towards the social media activities for promoting tax culture but shall also perform the function of junior jurists with commissioner Appeal and at Appellate Tribunal where they will be given the opportunity to understand the legal system.

The interns shall act as PRA ambassadors throughout their external visits i.e. at restaurants in order to create awareness in general public about taxes and about the benefits of sending WhatsApp messages of “Pakki” invoices for the purpose of balloting of RIMS. The interns have already been given motivational training at DMG group at Civil Service Academy whereas a tour to take them to Bhikkii Power Plant has already been planned.

 PPL funds clinic at Bait-ul-Sukoon

KARACHI (PR): Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) donated Rs 10 million to Bait-ul-Sukoon Cancer Hospital (BCH) for annual operational expenses of its day care clinic located at purpose-built premises in Karachi. MD & CEO Syed Wamiq Bokhari presented the donation cheque to trustees BCH Syed Masoud Ali Naqvi and Fatima Agha at the head office in the presence of representatives from both organizations. Speaking on the occasion, Bokhari reiterated PPL’s resolve as a responsible national company to improve the quality of life for underserved communities through its diverse CSR programme focussed on need-based interventions in healthcare, education and livelihood generation. Established in 1999, BCH is a renowned healthcare institution providing palliative as well as curative care to cancer patients through a hospital and hospice, the only such combined facility in Pakistan. BCH has so far treated over 50000 patients through chemo, radio and hormonal therapies as well as surgeries besides counselling and an early cancer detection programme.