By Abid Chaudhry TWA ______ The National University of Technology (NUTECH), Islamabad, proudly announces the commencement of the three-day Grand Consortium Summit & Erasmus+ ACTIVE Curriculum Review Meeting from May 15 to 17, 2024. This pivotal event is part of the ACTIVE Project, a significant initiative funded by the European Union to address Pakistan's environmental challenges. With a total funding of 0.717 Million Euros, this collaborative effort is fully supported by the European Union ERASMUS+ CBHE-2022 program.

According to press note, The ACTIVE Project consortium comprises seven partners: four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from Pakistan, including SSUET Karachi, MUET Jamshoro, Sindh, and BUITEMS Quetta, Balochistan, and three European institutions from Ireland, Spain, and Romania. This diverse partnership underscores a collective commitment to leveraging technology and innovation for sustainable environmental protection. The summit began with a welcome speech by DG Skills NUTECH, Engr Raza Ali Khan, setting a collaborative tone. This was followed by an introduction to Project ACTIVE by Dr. Pablo Otero Roth, UMA Spain and Dr. Marium Jalal, NUTECH, and a recap of project activities by Prof. Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry from MUET. Vice Chancellor of SSUET, Prof. Vali Uddin, also addressed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of the project for Pakistan's educational and environmental landscape. Philipp Oliver Gross from the EU Delegation to Pakistan highlighted the project's importance in his address. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Aamir from SSUET updated on Capacity Building activities, focusing on Work Package 4. A significant highlight was the inaugural event, where Philipp Oliver Gross, Eduard Robert Preda, Ambassador of Romania to Pakistan, and the Spanish Embassy representative, Carlos, inaugurated first Center of Excellence dedicated to using ICT applications for environmental problem-solving, marking a milestone in collaboration and knowledge exchange. The center aims to cultivate skilled ICT engineers with expertise in environmental science through capacity-building activities and specialized courses on advanced technologies. The center will establish four research centers focusing on local environmental challenges, providing practical training and contributing to mitigation efforts. On the second day, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Pakistan, Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne, visited the European Union Center of Excellence at NUTECH. The day also saw the signing of a Letter of Understanding between NUTECH and PMD under the ACTIVE Project, aiming for enhanced collaboration. Dr. Muhammad Afzaal, Chief Meteorologist at PMD Pakistan, delivered a guest lecture on climate change. The final day of the program marked a significant milestone with visits from ACTIVE Consortium members to the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). These visits facilitated in-depth discussions on various aspects of agricultural research, including emerging technologies, sustainable practices, and collaborative opportunities.