Thursday, January 28, 2016

Further thoughts on “KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY” Initiative

I hope the attached document gives you the background to the project on this link:
I expect that you will participate in this endeavor through the COUNCIL/JK/VO/WO close to your home
LIFE LONG LEARNING -Options for a Student:
BURUSHASKI DUA
1

Education and Skills

a. Augment the coaching being offered in a traditional Institution.

b. Access to Coaching material from the best universities for Education and capacity development.

c. Option for developing skills in existing career or change in career {example: Specialization in Microfinance].

d. Option for families of limited incomes/access to traditional world-famous Institutions of learning.

2. Telemedicine option: Once married, 80 percent of female doctors do not get an opportunity to practice their profession. They will have the opportunity to serve fellow human beings in need through TKN from their homes and also build further skills.

3. Integration of OUTERNET:

a. Will connect each cluster via satellite for access to coaching educational content from the best universities.

b. Will provide the opportunity to start the steps towards technology and business opportunity in this field.

NOTE: First DIY - do it yourself - L-band satellite receiver has since been fabricated in Hunza as part of integration to the idea demonstration program. Each home/ cluster of homes will now be the BEST university providing free world-class education/skills from ECD through university. Congratulations to all those interested in opting for this revolutionary education method in the digital age.





Perspective:

A. Targets for AKRSP/LSO:

1) Target-1: Improve the economic conditions so that populations in GB and Chitral can meet the ever-increasing costs of health and education and also become SELF-SUSTAINING.

2) Target-2: Groom indigenous leadership capable of establishing democracy (pre-requisites for meritocracy, and pluralism) and also capable of planning for a better quality of life for their future without external inputs.

3) Target-3: “Facilitate the establishment of Knowledge Societies in the program Area”

B. GUIDANCE and Deliberations in the NC:


1) "I think I am fortunate to be able to talk to you about serious issues and for you to understand where I would like the Jamat to be, Insha-Allah, in the world in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years. That is what is important."

"The conviction that home-grown intellectual leadership of exceptional caliber is the best driver of society’s future development, and that many developing country education systems are too engulfed by poverty and numbers to develop their talented young people" - hence the KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY INITIATIVE.


2) Extracts from the Minutes of the meeting of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for Pakistan held on March 29th and 30th 2003 at Conference Hall, Jamat Khana Premises, Rawalpindi-Islamabad [shared in the past on FB].


“Responding to an observation IW told the house that Ismailis working for AKRSP are very old and do not seem to fit into the new system and that is why others are more in numbers and in percentage. Brig Beg observed that a transparent competitive procedure is more likely in the selection of 90% Ismailis in different positions and advocated a blatant meritocratic competition and opined that such a course would not face serious challenges from pressure groups as faced previously and also in the present process. Many did not share this assessment; accordingly, it was proposed that the council should diagnose the reasons for the lack of competence among Ismailis in coming up with the standards and chalk out a road map for the future.

To this, a discussion went on among the members as to why AKDN Institutions are not getting good Ismailies. Sharing her viewpoint, Laila Dossa, member NC said that we don’t want to pay well and do not know how to retain them; the fellow joins the institution as if he is serving the cause and then he feels that he is squeezed and leaves quietly.

Wrapping the subject AP said it’s good to consider merit as criterion but we need to consider the Ismailis constituency. We need to keep balance, keep both merit and Ismaili. If we have not been able to find Ismailis competent enough we should train them to be qualified on merit. He also proposed to form a committee to address the subject and requested LD to come up with recommendations.

Higher education and scholarships: [Brig Beg] We realized in the March meeting that Ismaili candidates do not dominate on merit for job opportunities in AKDN. Competitive human resources can be developed only through access to higher education and proper stress for the same in the award of scholarships and loans. My proposal for “Facilitation in accessing higher education” is through recourse to the “distance learning” proposal as an immediate short-term measure. We recall the keynote address delivered by our Mawla to MIT two years back and the recent policy announcement by MIT. KEYNOTE SPEECH MIT wants to initiate a global revolution in education and towards the same making the course material available free on the Internet. Mawla’s directions to AKU-IED and the University of Central Asia are well known to the leadership. The GOP IT policy gives the shape of things emerging in Pakistan.

We need to adopt this cost-effective and feasible solution in all our institutional policies. We have the ISP and many computer centers almost at every local council/VO/the Jamatkhana and AKDN offices at all levels. The requirement for AKU is to facilitate asynchronous transmissions directly from the satellite to the centers within the limits of already purchased bandwidth.

As regards the scholarships, I will illustrate my point with a chart that indicates the distribution of scholarships over 5 years which has been extracted from the databases recently released by the AKES. This shows out of 72 scholarships [between 1995 to 2000], 47 have been allotted in Karachi, 4 in Sindh, 3 in Punjab, 5 in NWFP, 8 in NA, and 2 in Chitral. We need to re-assess the HR need of these regions and set specific targets in number as well as specialties. I would like the leaders to come up with recommendations on this or alternative proposals, which we may give to the AKDN.”

2) Appointment Meeting guidance on 9th December 2005, Islamabad.

3) Keynote speech of H.H. Aga Khan at MIT KEYNOTE SPEECH

My dear Chairperson,

This communication is in response to your letter no nil dated 5 Jan 2005 in my personal capacity. In this connection, please refer to my views given in the ICP meetings and different draft suggestions as attached again with this letter. I would certainly recommend sharing a clear picture on the following aspects in the same priority and improvement of the procedures in the light of these considerations:

A. Planning data (region-wise) for the numbers and specialties recommended in meeting the long-term vision for the region concerned.

B. Provide the database for the region-wise distribution and tracking of the 450 awardees of these scholarships. The limited database for awardees in higher education provided by AKES in the past shows a very discouraging state for regions outside the Garden area of Karachi.

C. There is a need to cater to students desirous of availing of distance learning facilities.

I hope and pray that these recommendations are passionately considered by the Board before the award of the scholarships for this and subsequent cycle.

From: habib.peermohamed[habib.peermohamed@aku.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 3:37 PM

To: Hisamullah Beg SI (M)

Subject: RE: Scholarship Programme

I have forwarded your comments and observations to my colleagues and will get back to you on these issues.

Regards


 Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan
                                                         Scholarship Programme
Regional Statistics
2004
2003
Applicants
Interviewed
Recipients
Applicants
Interviewed
Recipients
Northern Areas
33
27
18
22
17
17
Chitral
8
8
4
22
22
11
Sindh
29
27
12
15
14
10
Punjab and Frontier
5
4
4
2
2
0
Karachi
81
74
38
65
63
36
Total
156
140
76
126
118
74

Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan Alumina Data Base
                                          Scholarship Programme (1995 – 2000)

Regional Statistics

Male
Female
Total
Remarks
Northern Areas
07
01
08

Chitral
2
0
2

Sindh
2
2
4

Punjab
3
0
3

Frontier Province
5
0
6

Karachi (Garden East)
21
10
31

Karachi (Karimabad)
13
1
14

Karachi (Kharadar)
1
1
2

Outside Pakistan
4
0
4

Total
57
15
72


From: Hisamullah Beg SI(M) [mailto:hisam@sat.net.pk]
Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2005 10:24 AM
To: AGA KHAN, Zahra
Cc: JAMES, Claudine
Subject: Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan

Your Highness,

This humble servant of Imamat has ventured to place a copy of the communication done with chairman AKES and the data that has been shared in response. The views on development of HR in all regions as shared in the ICP are also appended as part of this communication. In view of these statistics I have communicated the desire for a review in procedures for which I am seeking blessings of your highness.

Brig (Retd) Hisamullah Beg, VP ICP

From:  “JAMES, Claudine” <Claudine.James@aiglemont.org>
To:       “Hisamullah Beg SI (M)” <hisam@sat.net.pk>
Sent:   Friday, April 29, 2005 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan

To the attention of Brigadier (Retd) Hisamullah Beg

Brigadier,

Further to your e-mail Princess Zahra has asked me to pass you the following message:

“Princess Zahra thanks you for the information which you have sent her, and looks forward to reviewing the progress of the AKES scholarship programme through the normal reporting channels of the SWD.”  

Sincerely,

Claudine James
Secretary to Princess Zahra Aga Khan 
cc.: Mr. Akbarli Pesnani, President – Aga Khan Council for Pakistan
        Mr. Habib Peermohamed, Chairman AKES, P
         Mr. Rahim Somani, Acting CEO AKES, P                                
                    


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