Federal Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja Leads Launch of Faculty AI Training Program in Partnership with HEC, Meta, and NCEAC
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, recently chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the Faculty AI Training Program—an innovative collaboration between the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Meta, and the National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC).
The meeting featured key participants including HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, NCEAC officials, Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) representatives, Pakistan Software Export Board CEO, and delegates from Atom Camp. Meta’s delegation was headed by Sarim Aziz, Director of South and Central Asia Public Policy.
Minister Khawaja praised the program as a pioneering example of public-private-academic partnership, designed to prepare Pakistan’s higher education sector for the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Program Highlights
The Faculty AI Training Program offers a two-track approach to equip university faculty nationwide:
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AI Soft Skills Training for over 1,000 non-technical faculty members, focusing on foundational AI awareness and application.
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AI Hard Skills Certifications for 250 to 500 technical faculty, including Meta’s LLaMA credentials via Coursera, aimed at building advanced AI expertise.
Minister Khawaja highlighted the broad impact of Artificial Intelligence, describing it as a transformative force extending beyond technology to sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
Future Plans and Support
The Minister assured full support from MoITT for the program’s nationwide rollout, policy alignment, and integration with the upcoming National AI Policy and other digital skills initiatives.
She also proposed expanding collaboration with:
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Student-focused AI training phases
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Localization of AI learning content in Urdu and regional languages
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Integration of AI ethics and safety frameworks
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Development of joint dashboards to track progress
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Establishment of a long-term AI Faculty Development Fund
Appreciating the leadership of HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the NCEAC team, and Meta, Minister Khawaja stressed that empowering faculty with Generative AI knowledge is critical for cultivating an AI-ready workforce to thrive in the global digital economy.
This Faculty AI Training Program marks a significant step toward equipping Pakistan’s educators with the skills needed to drive innovation and digital transformation across all sectors.
