Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology (KIET) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Encore Digital, in partnership with RizTek Consulting of Canada, to develop closer collaboration between academia and the technology industry. The agreement is focused on creating opportunities for KIET students across several areas, including student development, industry exposure, internships, employment and technical workshops. The collaboration will also cover Final Year Project mentorship and evaluation, curriculum and industry alignment, startup mentorship and joint research initiatives in emerging technologies. Through these areas of cooperation, the partners intend to connect academic learning with practical industry experience and provide students with greater exposure to professional technology environments.
The agreement is also expected to create opportunities for students to interact with industry professionals and gain experience related to current technology practices. The inclusion of curriculum industry alignment within the MoU provides a framework for closer interaction between academic programmes and industry requirements, while technical workshops and internships can give students opportunities to develop practical knowledge alongside their university education. The partnership also includes employment opportunities, creating a channel for students to explore professional roles and understand industry expectations before and after completing their studies.
The MoU brings together KIET, Encore Digital and RizTek Consulting, with RizTek Consulting representing an international connection through its operations in Canada. Encore Digital will participate in the collaboration across areas related to technology and professional development, while KIET will provide the academic platform for student engagement, research and project activities. The partnership also includes support for Final Year Projects, with industry representatives expected to contribute through mentorship and evaluation. This can provide students working on their final year projects with exposure to practical considerations and industry perspectives relevant to their chosen technology areas. Startup mentorship is another component of the agreement, giving students working on entrepreneurial ideas an opportunity to engage with industry professionals. Joint research in emerging technologies has also been identified as an area of collaboration, creating scope for academic and industry participants to work together on research initiatives connected with new and developing technology fields.
The collaboration was facilitated through the efforts of Usman Khan, Faculty Member and Manager, University Linkages and Industrial Liaison at the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), KIET. He played a role in connecting KIET with the industry partners and supporting the development of the collaboration. The MoU was signed by Rizwan Ahmed, Founder of RizTek Consulting, Ibad Mohiuddin, Co-Founder and Technical Architect of Encore Digital, Ahad Mohiuddin, Director of Operations at Encore Digital, and Professor Dr Salman A. Khan, Director of ORIC at KIET. Their participation formally establishes the partnership between the university and the two technology organisations, with the agreement covering multiple areas of student and institutional engagement. The involvement of ORIC also places the collaboration within KIET’s broader framework for developing university links with industry and supporting research, innovation and commercial engagement.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
