ISLAMABAD, JUL 20 (DNA) — Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain inaugurated the 400-kilowatt solar system at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).
He said that the university is among the few institutions of the Federal Ministry of Education which have completed the solarization work on time. He congratulated the Vice-Chancellor AIOU, Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood for achieving this milestone.
The minister further said that the country is going through an energy crisis. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif encouraged solar energy projects in the country, especially in government institutions to meet this challenge.
Rana Tanveer said that the solarization of AIOU will be an important source of green energy along with financial savings. 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. — DNA
 — Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain inaugurated the 400-kilowatt solar){kind=link}