Riphah International University (RIU), Sahiwal Campus, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Data Pilot Pvt Ltd, a company based in Lahore, to connect classroom learning with practical work in technology. The announcement described the agreement as a milestone in the commitment of the campus to academic excellence and integration with industry. The agreement is aimed at students of computing and related fields, and it places a strong focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, two areas in which employers increasingly look for graduates who have worked on real projects before they enter the job market.
The MoU was signed by Adeel Mankee, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Data Pilot Pvt Ltd, and Professor Tahir Mahmood, Advisor Institutional Excellence at RIU Sahiwal. The ceremony was followed by a detailed meeting that involved Dr. Ammar Ashraf, Head of Department (HoD) Computing and Innovation Azeem Sattar, industry liaison officers, final year project (FYP) mentors, and the coaching team of the campus. The involvement of these groups suggests that the partnership is meant to work through the people who deal with students on a daily basis, from mentors who guide final year work to liaison officers who connect the university with companies.
Under the agreement, Data Pilot will provide direct support to students across several tracks. The first is hands-on internships and job placements, which give students a chance to work in a professional environment and, where possible, move into employment. The second is Management Trainee Officer (MTO) programmes, which are structured entry-level schemes that prepare fresh graduates for larger roles within an organisation. The third is expert coaching and mentorship for FYPs that focus on AI and data science, so that the projects students complete before graduation are guided by professionals who work in these fields and are familiar with the tools and methods that companies use.
According to the announcement, the partnership is meant to ensure that graduates leave the university with industry-proven skills and direct career launchpads in the AI and data domain, in addition to their degrees. For students at the Sahiwal campus, access to a Lahore based company in the data field may widen their options for internships and projects beyond the local market. Agreements of this type depend on how they are carried out after the signing, and the campus has said that the collaboration will cover internships, trainee programmes, and project mentorship, which are the areas where students can expect to see the results of the partnership in the coming semesters.
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