Zarrar Khan, Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan, visited the Embedded Systems and Integrated Circuit Design Lab at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology during the institute’s Annual Industrial Open House 2026, where he served as the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony. Rector Professor Dr. Fazal Khalid extended his appreciation to the Federal Secretary for honoring the institute with his visit and for presiding over the closing ceremony, which brought together industry representatives, faculty, and students to showcase the research and development work being carried out at one of Pakistan’s most prominent engineering institutions.
The visit coincided with an announcement of significance for Pakistan’s technology sector, as GIKI confirmed its collaboration with the Pakistan Software Export Board under the Prime Minister’s National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program, known formally as NSHRDP and by its initiative name INSPIRE. As part of this partnership, GIKI will participate in the Up-Skilling Training Program, a component of the broader INSPIRE framework that is designed to build Pakistan’s domestic talent base in semiconductor design and related disciplines. The program is set to commence in May 2026 and will focus specifically on equipping participants with practical skills in Digital Integrated Circuit Design and Verification, two areas that are central to the semiconductor development pipeline and in high demand globally as countries and companies race to build domestic chip design capabilities.
The National Semiconductor Human Resource Development Program has been positioned by the government as a flagship initiative aimed at transforming Pakistan into a recognized participant in the global semiconductor industry, a sector that has attracted enormous strategic attention worldwide following supply chain disruptions in recent years. By anchoring the program within established engineering institutions such as GIKI and coordinating it through the Pakistan Software Export Board, the initiative is attempting to build a pipeline of technically trained graduates who can contribute to semiconductor design projects both domestically and for international clients. The Federal Secretary’s presence at the open house underlined the government’s engagement with the program at a senior level, and GIKI’s participation signals that the initiative is moving from planning into active execution as training is set to begin this month.
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