LAHORE: Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman Dr Umar Saif has been appointed as United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) chair for using Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICTD). He is the first international UNESCO chair in the field of ICTD and will help Pakistan become a centre of excellence in using information technology for development, especially use of technology to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the Arfa Karim IT Tower, Dr Umar Saif said, “This UNESCO chair is a huge honour for Pakistan and is a recognition of our work in using technology to solve problems of the developing-world, including access to education, low-better healthcare, technology-enabled agriculture practices, rural Internet connectivity and digital financial inclusion. This Chair will help Pakistan become a global hub of ICTD and the use of technology to address the UN SDGs.” Through this UNESCO Chair, ITU will establish collaborations with world-leading universities such as United Nations University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington, he said. Previously, Dr Umar became the first Pakistani to be named as one of the top 35 innovators in the world by MIT Technology Review in 2011, and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010. Dr Umar is also the only Pakistani who has received the Google Faculty Research Award, Mark Weiser Award, MIT Technovator Award and Microsoft Research Digital Inclusion Award. Dr Umar was also awarded the British Council Outstanding Alumni Award in 2017. Dr Umar received Sitar-e-Imtiaz by the government in 2014 and has been named among the most influential Muslims in the world in 2014-2018. Published in Daily Times, April 19th 2018.