ISLAMABAD: Rana Tanveer Hussain, federal minister of education and professional training, dedicated the 400 kW solar array at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). According to him, the university is one of the few Federal Ministry of Education institutions that have successfully finished the solarization work on schedule. He commended Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, Vice-Chancellor of the AIOU, on reaching this significant milestone. The minister added that there is an energy problem in the nation. To solve this problem, the country’s solar energy projects, particularly those in governmental institutions, were pushed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to Rana Tanveer, the solarization of AIOU will help save money while serving as a significant source of green energy.
He added that the importance of distance learning has increased after Covid-19 and asked the university administration to strengthen its regional network further to provide educational opportunities to the people at their doorstep.
It is pertinent to mention here that AIOU has 54 regional campuses across the country, striving for educational services.
Vice Chancellor AIOU, Prof. Dr. Nasir Mehmood said that keeping in mind the shortage of energy resources in the country, AIOU has started solarization of all the regional campuses including the main campus under the energy saving policy of the Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.
He said that the solarization of a few buildings has been completed in the first phase, solarization of the entire university will be completed by the middle of next year.
Dr. Nasir Mehmood said that we had the guidance of Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain in every step we took for the improvement of AIOU, including solarization. He further said that Solarization was the only solution that would save energy and the surplus units would be deposited to WAPDA.
He said that funds spent on this project will be recovered in the shape of energy-saving in the next three years. Deans, professors, faculty members, and principal officers of the university participated in the ceremony.
