Daily Times

Professor Dr Zia-ul-Qayyum, Vice Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), has been elected the president of COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities (CINVU).

The CINVU is a forum of 57 Islamic countries’ open and distance learning or virtual learning universities network. It was established in 2011 as an autonomous, non-political, non-profit organization with an international approach, working with the support of COMSTECH. The aim of CINVU is to support programs aiming at developing educational and research networks based on information and communication technologies among the member countries of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Besides this, it has been mandated to develop educational/academic research and technological collaborations to strengthen the mutual partnership and inter-activity among virtual universities of Islamic World.

The election of the president took place at the Second General Assembly of CINVU held in Tehran, with eight executive board members in attendance. The vice chancellors/rectors/presidents of Islamic World universities of open and distance learning/virtual learning attended the General Assembly where they unanimously elected Prof Zia-ul-Qayyum as CINVU’s first president.

Dr Zia-ul-Qayyum in his address on the occasion thanked all the members for the confidence and trust reposed upon him and assured that with their cooperation, the forum will be developed as a leading one in the open and distance/virtual learning field.

Sharing his vision, he said the CINVU will rise as a platform to support the institutions in promoting quality, affordable and accessible education with the use of latest technology, especially through mobile learning network.