ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) organised online orientation sessions on Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award (PMNIA) for Vice Chancellors and Rectors of public and private sector universities.

More than 230 university heads were invited to sessions, which were aimed at giving them a detailed orientation of various components of National Innovation Award and how universities can partake to make this project a success for country’s youth.

Executive Director HEC Dr. Shaista Sohail in her briefing to Vice Chancellors said that project is aimed at changing economic landscape for youth by promoting innovation and creating/supporting local businesses. She explained in detail nine thematic areas of National Innovation Award. “All Pakistani youth aged between 15 to 30 years can take part in Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award and get business funding of up to Rs 2 million,” said Dr. Shaista Sohail. Award would allow youngsters to turn their potential business ideas into a reality. She said that in current situation where Pakistan was facing flood devastations and climate change problems, new generation needed to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to cope with these challenges.

While briefing about PMNIA Noshaba Awais Project Director PMNIA informed participants that objectives of Innovation Award are improving Pakistan’s ranking in Global Innovation Index, fostering entrepreneurial culture among youth and transforming ideas into a successful business. Vice Chancellors/Rectors appreciated HEC’s initiative to promote entrepreneurship culture among youth.

They assured HEC to support project in every possible way and encourage students to submit their innovative ideas. PMNIA is open to all kinds of innovative ideas including but not limited to food security, water management and sustainability, sustainable energy, urban planning, climate change and environment, Information Technology and Telecom, innovative governance and reforms, Sociology and Philosophy, Medical and Health Sciences and others. Selection of awards will be made through an open, rigorous, transparent, competitive and merit-based process.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 03 2022

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