Certified Cloud Applied Generative AI Initiative to Train 30,000 Students
Staff Report
Washington D.C: The “Certified Cloud Applied Generative AI” initiative has been launched to train 30,000 IT students, engineers, and other professionals, aiming to provide practical training and upgrade their skills.
Simultaneously, a database of trained IT individuals and experts in Pakistan is being compiled to connect them with Pakistani-American tech entrepreneurs, particularly in Silicon Valley.
Moreover, a platform is being created for Pakistani freelancers to provide them with better employment opportunities both in Pakistan and globally.
This was stated by a delegation of IT entrepreneurs who called on Ambassador Masood Khan at the Embassy of Pakistan. The delegation included Hira Khan, Adil Khan, and Nadeem Sheikh.
Briefing the Ambassador, the delegation said the “Certified Cloud Applied Generative AI” initiative has been launched under the Sindh Governor’s initiative.
They informed that they have previously contributed on a gratis basis to promote education, research, and business opportunities in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things, and Cloud Native Computing under the initiative for Artificial Intelligence and Computing.
“We have trained over 1 million people of different ages and backgrounds in Pakistan under PIAIC,” Ms. Hira Khan told the Ambassador.
The delegation expressed their desire to establish a Tech National Incubation Centre in Karachi and other parts of Pakistan and highlighted their intention to manufacture low-cost software engineering products in Pakistan for export to the United States.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Sheikh, Supreme Court Lawyer, Head of Justice Helpline International, and member of the Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations, briefed the Ambassador about the workings of Justice Helpline International and the Pakistan Council on Foreign Relations.
He said that Justice Helpline International provides pro-bono legal services and helps deserving Pakistanis domestically and internationally.
Mr. Sheikh said the organization has helped repatriate several destitute Pakistanis languishing in foreign prisons. Justice Helpline International is also helping Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan, he added.
Mr. Sheikh mentioned that Justice Helpline International plans to confer awards titled “Nishan-e-Justice” to the top 10 eminent Pakistani Americans across various walks of life in the US.
Appreciating the initiatives being taken by IT entrepreneurs, Ambassador Masood Khan said Pakistan’s tech sector had witnessed impressive growth, especially in fintech, health tech, and other tech-associated areas, including transportation and real estate.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s IT exports have surged to $4 billion.
Discussing Pak-US collaboration, especially in the IT and Tech sector, Masood Khan said that the existing partnership had great potential for growth.
He stated that the U.S. remains the preeminent import destination for Pakistani goods. In the fiscal year 2022-23, Pakistan’s IT and IT-related service exports to the U.S. amounted to $1.4 billion, stated the Ambassador.
Noting the presence of leading international IT corporations in Pakistan, including HP, DELL, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, NCR, Teradata, and Google, Masood Khan observed that digitization of the economy, e-commerce, and improved supply chains were driving this change.
He said tech startups have particularly been successful in fintech, retail, pharmacy, diagnostics, telemedicine, education, groceries, and transportation.AI Summit 2024: Unveiling Cutting-edge Innovations and Insights
“Artificial Intelligence and other new technologies—blockchain, robotics, 3-D printing, synthetic biology—are the next wave of technology,” the Ambassador said.
The Ambassador also welcomed the intent to manufacture low-cost software products in Pakistan for export to the U.S.
He said Pakistan could be used as a manufacturing hub not only for the United States but also for Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
He urged the delegation to scale up their investments and programs in Pakistan and assured them of all possible support from the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C. and all of Pakistan’s Consulates in the U.S.
