Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: First-ever Asian Libraries Conference would be held at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in the first week of September this year to promote book-reading culture and strengthen research based academic work at higher education level.

The conference would be organised by the Pakistan Library Association (PLA) in collaboration with AIOU and Department of Libraries, government of Pakistan. It would be a two-day event, which to be participated by the representatives of national libraries from home and abroad.

The event would be aimed at enhancing regional cooperation in respect of knowledge and resource sharing. The participants of the conference would exchange their expertise and experience to make the library a strong source of academic research in the country.

The AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that they would extend necessary support to the organisers of the conference to make the event successful.

He said that the AIOU has already upgraded its central library for the book lovers adding that the AIOU has already decided to link its central library, which is open for general public, with modernised and automation system and now the university is providing best library facilities to the readers through online automatic digital system.

Exams from May 16: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) would conduct final exams of Matriculation, FA, BA and BS Computer Science programmes for the Autumn 2015 Semester from May 16th.

For this purpose, AIOU has set up 850 centres across the country to provide the facility at the residence and work places of the students.

The roll number slips are being dispatched to all enrolled students of these programmes at their given postal address. According to the AIOU controller examination, the slips along with date sheet are also being placed at the university’s website www.aiou.edu.pk. The students who have not received their roll no slips till May 10th must contact their respective regional office or examinations department in the federal capital for issuance of duplicate slip.

The university has recently taken various initiatives gradually moving towards automation system to bring about transparency and quality in the overall examination system.

The matters relating to evaluation of examination papers and announcement of results are also being streamlined, as per the directives of AIOU Vice Chancellor Dr Shahid Siddiqui.

The main focus has been laid on improvement of students related services and in this connection, a comprehensive complaint centre has also been put in place at the university’s main campus. The VC attached high priority to students’ related academic services, mainly available study material to the students well in time.

Meanwhile, AIOU entered into new arrangements with Pakistan Post for quick dispatch of answer sheets to the relevant departments to ensure transparency in the entire examination process. The Pakistan Post will keep their post offices open near the 750 examination centres to receive and dispatch the answer sheet on the same day whereas the night service has also been made operative with the start of current Autumn 2015 exams.