The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication has launched a major national initiative in partnership with HEC, Meta, and NCEAC to equip university faculty across Pakistan with Artificial Intelligence expertise. Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review the Faculty AI Training Program aimed at preparing over 1,000 educators with both technical and non-technical AI skills.
This collaborative effort will deliver specialized training across multiple tiers. Non-technical faculty will undergo soft skills development focused on AI literacy, while technical faculty will receive globally recognized certifications, including Meta’s LLaMA credentials offered through Coursera. The program targets 250 to 500 educators for the technical certification track.
The meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, NCEAC Chairman, MoITT officials, the CEO of Pakistan Software Export Board, representatives from Atom Camp, and Meta’s delegation led by Sarim Aziz, Director of South and Central Asia Public Policy.
Minister Shaza praised the initiative as a strong example of effective public-private-academic collaboration, emphasizing AI’s growing role across critical sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. She reiterated MoITT’s commitment to supporting the initiative nationwide and aligning it with ongoing national strategies, including the soon-to-be-launched National AI Policy and other digital capability frameworks.
To further enhance the initiative’s reach and relevance, the Minister proposed several future additions to the program. These include expanding the scope to include student-focused AI training, creating localized AI learning content in Urdu and regional languages, and embedding ethical, safety, and responsible use standards into the training.
She also highlighted the importance of sustainability and impact measurement for the program. Suggestions included setting up joint monitoring dashboards to track implementation and performance, as well as establishing a long-term AI Faculty Development Fund to maintain momentum.
The initiative places a strong emphasis on preparing educators with cutting-edge knowledge in emerging technologies. With the support of Meta and leading academic institutions, the program ensures that faculty members are not only trained but certified to international standards, strengthening Pakistan’s position in the global digital skills landscape.
Minister Shaza acknowledged the leadership of HEC, NCEAC, and Meta in bringing the initiative to life. She underscored the strategic value of enabling faculty as primary agents of transformation in academia and beyond. Equipping educators with foundational and advanced AI competencies is essential for building an AI-ready workforce capable of driving innovation and adapting to the evolving global digital ecosystem.
