KARACHI: A Dubai-based global education company, Coded Minds, is set to launch its operations in Pakistan from January 2020, the firm’s CEO said on Wednesday, and bring iSTEAM (Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) learning to Pakistan.
Nearly 22.5 million of Pakistan’s estimated 50 million children are out of school, even though the country has a network of 220,000 schools and has stepped up its education budget by nearly 15 percent each year since 2010.
“Our Pakistan operations will start from January 2020,” Omar Farooqui, founder and president of Coded Minds, told reporters at a press briefing. “We are now officially registered in Pakistan with the aim to provide the best education to the young generation of the country so that they can play a crucial role not just for Pakistan but also at the global level.”
He said the company planned to invest around $5 million to train teachers and provide curriculum in Pakistan, starting from Karachi and moving onwards to Lahore, Islamabad and other cities.
“The investment will be increased exponentially with the passage of time,” Farooqui, a Saudi national, said.
Following the Finland and Singapore education models, Coded Minds offers a large range of modernized project-based courses, and has developed a disruptive business model that aims to change the dynamics of the education sector though practical and culture-specific learning that dispenses of the idea of exams.
Since its launch in 2017, the company has grown rapidly in the Middle East and Asia and will be the first UAE-based company to invest in the education sector of Pakistan.
Farooqui dispelled the impression that technology-based education was expensive, saying he intended to bring advanced technology education to the grassroots level in Pakistan and around the world.
“There is a major misconception that technology education is expensive. It is completely the other way round,” Farooqui said. “We believe quality education has to be affordable and reachable to the grassroots level.”
He said fees charged by the firm would be one fourth of what was being charged by private schools in Pakistan.
“Keeping in view our system’s performance in UAE, parents in Pakistan have already started asking for early launch of operations in the country,” Farooqui said. “Coded Minds has plans to introduce global learning systems across the board in Pakistan, no matter what your social and financial status.”
Dubai’s 'Coded Minds' to launch education services in Pakistan from Jan 2020
Dubai’s 'Coded Minds' to launch education services in Pakistan from Jan 2020
- Firm offers large range of technology-based courses in iSTEAM subjects
- It is the first UAE firm to invest in Pakistan's education sector
Pakistan, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data
- Visiting Oman royal navy commander calls on Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad
- White shipping agreement refers to exchange of prior information on movement of commercial ships
ISLAMABAD: The naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman discussed regional maritime security on Wednesday and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
The press release followed a meeting between Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the visiting Oman Royal Navy Commander Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
Both navies maintain close professional relations, reflected in expert-level staff talks, joint training, bilateral exercises, and participation in multilateral exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security and bilateral naval cooperation were discussed,” the Pakistan Navy said.
The MoU was signed by both sides at a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters, the navy’s media wing confirmed.
“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
White shipping agreement refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
Information regarding the identity of vessels helps countries tackle potential threats from sea routes. This particularly helps in the development of a proper regional maritime domain awareness
The statement said Al Rahbi lauded Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and acknowledged its ongoing contributions to maritime security and regional stability.
Pakistan and Oman share geographical proximity and common maritime boundaries. Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries span a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and strong defense ties.
In December, a Royal Navy flotilla from Oman visited Karachi to take part in the annual bilateral Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025 exercise.
Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980.
