Pakistani Grads to Avail Subsidized Online Courses

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has signed an agreement with Overseas Technology Private Limited to acquire services of digital content, subsidized online courses and certification of high ranking renowned institutions to the recipients of Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.

Leila Khan, Chairperson, Prime Minister Youth Programme was the chief guest. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, Dr. Arshad Ali, Executive Director HEC, and other senior officers of the two sides were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Leila Khan appreciated the managements of both HEC and Overseas Technology Pvt. Ltd. for taking measures to provide students with opportunity to secure internationally acclaimed specialization in diversified disciplines leading towards certifications through an online platform.

She said the courses will enhance learning capabilities of students in their professional career. She urged HEC and Overseas Technology to facilitate students at the time of registration in this programme and throughout their courses.

Welcoming Ms. Leila Khan to HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the Government is paying due attention for promotion of higher education in the country. He said HEC is effectively implementing Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme and Prime Minister’s Fee Reimbursement Scheme the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. He maintained that laptop assembly plant has now been set up in Pakistan making the execution of PM’s Laptop Scheme easier.

The Chairman said over Rs. 6.5 billion has so far been reimbursed to students from less developed areas of Pakistan under the Fee Reimbursement Scheme, adding that HEC has also set up Education Testing Council to ensure free of cost entry tests for admission to universities.

Referring to Smart University concept, he underlined that HEC has so far enabled 15 universities with Wifi-enabled campuses linked with Safe Campus Project to not only facilitate students but also ensure their security. ‘HEC intends to rollout this concept at all public sector universities by 2018,” he added.

Earlier, briefing the Chairperson PMYP about significance of the agreement, Dr. Arshad Ali said that HEC is determined to improve effective utilization of modern technology, adding that improvement in the quality of education and access to education cannot be achieved without use of technology. He said the agreement is a step forward towards creating a learning environment for students.

The agreement will provide students with an opportunity to secure certifications from renowned institutions and will enhance their skills. A verified certificate from authentic online platform can serve as a proof for an employer that someone is abreast with cutting-edge tools and skills needed for a competitive career internationally.

MS and PhD level laptop recipients can sign up and enroll in 70 specialization and associated courses, initially offered under the programme. They can earn a completion certificate upon successful completion of their specific course.

Faisalabad to Get a Metro Bus & an IT University

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, has launched several development projects, an IT University and a Metro Bus route in Faisalabad. These are part of a wider development project in the province.

While making a speech at the workers’ convention at Iqbal Auditorium of University of Agriculture in Faisalabad (UAF), he also stated that work would begin on these projects this year.

Govt Allocates Over Rs. 2.28 Billion for Foreign Language Program

Higher Education Minister for Punjab, Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that Rs. 2.28 billion has been allocated for the foreign languages program.

About 500 students will be sent abroad for learning different languages including Chinese and Turkish under this program, according to the minister.

Market Positioning

Market Positioning means selecting a marketing mix that is most suitable for a target market segment. The following illustration shows a product positioning map. A well-positioned company will beat the competition that has a comparable offering. The company that clearly articulates what it does, why it's relevant and how it's different helps customers make better and faster buying decisions. Why are we suggesting you get our help? When we place a Chief Outsider with your company, or consult with you on a strategic direction, you get access to the human capital of our entire executive marketing team.

Market Segmentation

Market segmentation depends on two levels − the strategic level and the tactical level. At a strategic level, it has a direct link with the decisions on positioning. At a tactical level, it relates with the decision of which consumer groups are to be targeted. We will discuss here the parameters based on which a market can be segmented. Market segmentation is the identification of portions of the market that are different from one another. Segmentation allows the firm to better satisfy the needs of its potential customers.

Marketing Strategies

Consumer behaviour is the study of the way people seek, purchase, use, evaluate and dispose of products and services. It is the phycology of marketing, and it is used to determine why consumers seek one product alternative from the other.
But why do consumers seek and purchase products? This is linked to the ideology of needs and wants. Needs and wants exist if a consumer is unsatisfied, consumers seek and purchase the products that can provide them with maximum satisfaction.

Developing Marketing Concepts

There are 5 different concepts of marketing, each of which vary in the function that they deal with. For example – production concept deals with production and selling concept deals with selling. Each of the concept was developed as per the need of the market. As the market changed, so did the concepts of marketing. And today, we have an opportunity to look at all 5 concepts of marketing and what they represent.

Buying Decision Process

The marketer is responsible for selling the goods in the market so he must have the knowledge how the consumers actually make their buying decisions. For this he must study the consumer buying decision process or model. It involves five stages:

Demand Analysis

The Demand Curve
The quantity of a particular good or service that a consumer or group of consumers want to purchase at a given price is termed as demand. It is the consumer’s ability or willingness to buy a specific product.

Consumer Behavior - Significance

Consumer behavior covers a broad variety of consumers based on diversity in age, sex, culture, taste, preference, educational level, income level, etc. Consumer behavior can be defined as “the decision process and physical activity engaged in evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services.”

With all of the diversity to the surplus of goods and services offered to us, and the freedom of choices, one may speculate how individual marketers actually reach us with their highly definite marketing messages. Understanding consumer behavior helps in identifying whom to target, how to target, when to reach them, and what message is to be given to them to reach the target audience to buy the product.

Consumer Behavior - Consumerism

Consumerism is the organized form of efforts from different individuals, groups, governments and various related organizations which helps to protect the consumer from unfair practices and to safeguard their rights.

The growth of consumerism has led to many organizations improving their services to the customer.

SBP offering merit based scholarships for students

State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Corporation (SBPBSC) is inviting the application from the brilliant children of its serving, retired, deceased employees (OG-2 and below) to continue their studies at intermediate, graduate and post graduate level.

The merit based scholarships for the academic session 2016-17 are now available and the bank in inviting applications from the children of above mentioned employees.

UIT Becomes Solar-Powered Engineering University

Usman Institute of Technology (UIT), an engineering university based in Karachi, has started generating electricity from solar energy to meet the growing energy requirements of the campus with the long-term available solution.

The UIT installed 198 solar panels of 320 Watts each in January 2017 as part of its energy conservation drive that started in August 2016.

KPK to Allocate Rs. 139 Billion for Education in Upcoming Budget

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has set a high bar for other provinces by taking its upcoming fiscal year (2017-18) education budget to Rs. 139 billion from what it was a mere Rs. 61 billion four years ago.

“This reflects an increase of 128% since the time Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assumed government in 2013,” announced KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday in Islamabad.

High fee, low education

The future of any country rests on the shoulders of education system. It is sadly said that Pakistan’s educational system is plagued with disparity at every level. Only a section of population can afford private schooling which has become the synonymous with the term ‘Quality Education’. Others can only dream of. Under the guise of quality education, private institutions have introduced crushingly high fee structure with yearly increment. Private institutions are taking massive amounts of money from parents, instead of working on quality education they are engaged in opening new branches in other areas. I want to request the management of private institutions to have mercy on the poor parents.