Federal Minister for Defense Production & Science and Technology,  Rana Tanveer Hussain, has said that information technology is playing a vital role in today’s world and if a nation wishes to develop at a fast pace, it has to opt for latest technologies. The Government of Pakistan is committed to exploiting potential of various technologies, especially those related to information technology.

He stated this while addressing at a seminar on “Role of Information Technology in Education”, organized by University Institute of Information Technology of Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR).

Federal Minister said that familiarity with technology is necessary to enable person to live and to cope with challenges of the modern world. He highlighted the importance of IT in national development and called for more cooperation among the institutes to achieve the desired development goals. He encouraged students to find new avenues for advancement by revolutionizing their live through information technology. He asserted that the countries that lagged behind in adopting new technologies were left behind in the march towards economic progress. Federal Minister also planted a tree in University premises.

Earlier, Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, PMAS-AAUR, in his address, termed the present age as the age of information technology and said that information technology has not only revolutionized world but also left its impact on every sphere of human activity. He was of the view that educational institutions should promote IT services to reach more and more students especially in the rural areas to reduce the cost of education and enhance the quality of education. Vice Chancellor suggested that curriculum on all levels of education should be reformed for students aspiring to take up IT professions, so that they are able to meet the needs of the global as well as the local markets. At the end, University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad also presented souvenir to the chief guest.

Dr. Mubashir Riaz Khan, Director University Institute of Information Technology, Dr.  Qamar Zaman, Associate Professor Dalhouise University Canada and Mr. Nouma Ijaz while delivering their lectures/presentations discussed on IT for modern skill acquisition, E-education, IT for effective education, , IT system for Precision agriculture, agriculture research and crop production.