Virtual University of Pakistan
www.vu.edu.pk
Why Virtual University?
• Lack of Capacity in traditional
Institutions
o Pakistan:
population: 180 million
o Only 7% of 18-25 years age group enrolled
• Dearth of Qualified Faculty
o Institutions have very few “quality” Professors
o The deficiency leads to poor quality output
Why Virtual University?
• Barriers to entry into Higher Education
o High cost of conventional education
o Concentrated in major cities only
o Limited enrollment capacity
Approach
• Collectively, Pakistani Universities have excellent
faculty; why not use them to teach all aspirants?
• To target Highly qualified faculty with established
credentials to:
o Drive the content development
process
o Develop content locally
Model
• To use Technology as a force multiplier
• To Deliver/interact via Television and Internet
• To provide uniform education across Pakistan
Brief History
• Project started:
November 2001
• Inauguration (by President):
March 23, 2002
• Start of Classes:
March 25, 2002
• Grant of Federal Charter:
Sep. 11, 2002
Mode of Operations
• Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) delivers education
through innovative uses of ICT.
• VU conducts its courses under a formal semester
system with a defined academic calendar.
• Video lectures are delivered through:
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VU TV channels (broadcasted through Pak Sat)
DVD’s
Open Course ware (OCW)
You Tube
LMS Video Section
VU Television
Bilingual mode of communication
Viewable in more than 70 countries
4 dedicated Free to Air Educational Channels
1st on Pak Sat-1 and currently on Pak Sat 1R, stationed
at Nairobi 38” E.
• 1st Government Educational Channel
• MOU with DW (Duetsche Welle ) to re-broadcast
documentaries and informative programs
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Foot print
VU at a Glance
• Large student body
•
Present all over the country
• Admission twice a year (fall & spring)
• 160+ courses offered every semester
VU at a Glance
• Student-teacher interaction is through a
comprehensive Learning Management System
http://vulms.vu.edu.pk
• Examinations:
* Formal Proctored examinations
* Twice a semester (midterm & Finals)
* Conducted at dedicated exam centers
Outreach
Cities:
Total Campuses:
VU owned & Operated:
Public-private partnership:
Overseas Countries:
Overseas students:
Student Enrollment:
119
206
24
182
60+
2000+
125,000+
Student Status
• Full time students
 Normal course load
 Mostly as per scheme of studies
•
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
Working students
Partial course load
Variety of course distributions
Limited study times/exam days/hours
• Stragglers and certificate students
 Can take any course in any semester
Academic Programs
• 4-year BS programs
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o
o
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Computer Science
Information Technology
Business Administration
Management
Marketing
Banking & Finance
Education
Academic Programs
4-year BS programs (Contd.)
o
o
o
o
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o
Business & Information Technology (BBIT)
Public Administration
Commerce
Accounting & Finance
Mass Communication
Psychology
Academic Programs
• 2-year Bachelor Programs (4-semester)
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B.Sc. (Computer Science)
Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com)
BA (Business Administration)
BA (Psychology)
BA (Mass Communication)
BA
Academic Programs
• MS in Computer Science (MSCS)
• Masters programs
o Master of Computer Science (2-year)
o Master of Information Technology (2-year)
o MBA (3.5-year, 96 credit hours)
o MBA (2.5-year, 72 credit hours)
o MBA (Executive) 2-year, 72 credit hours
o MBA (1.5-year, 36 credit hours)
Academic Programs
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Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration
(one-year/2-semester).
Diploma in Computer Science & Information
Technology (one-year/2-semester).
Additional Specialization Certification in
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•
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Banking
Finance
Human Resource Management
Management
Marketing
Management Information System
Professional Certificate Course
(one semester)
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Computer Science & Information Technology
Management Sciences
Mathematics
Humanities
General Sciences
Milestones
Acknowledgements
• VU exam System presented at MIT-LINC 2010 (USA).
• Very well received.
• People asked whether VU had patented it!
• COMSATS, AIOU and HEC Committee on DE have requested
presentations about the system with a view to adopting it or
asking for VU assistance.
• NUST has adopted VU Examination Software for their Annual
Entry Tests
Future Plans
• New Study programs in coming year.
• Establishing more VU owned campuses.
• Target: At least one VU campus in every district.
Video Lectures
Video Lectures
Video Lectures
Video Lectures
Education for all
• High quality, Uniform, Affordable
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o
o
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o
o
Indirect:
Direct:
Direct:
Direct:
Direct:
Direct:
K-12 interventions
Yr 13 – PhD
Teacher training (all levels)‫‏‬
Re-training & certification
Life-long learning
IT Training - VU-CPL
VU Envisages Active
Contribution in:
• General Public Awareness / Education
o Civic sense, Health issues and education
o Non-affording / incapable of access population segments
• Agriculture, health & vocational education
• e-Content development
Coming Up


One campus per district approved in principle
by the Prime Minister
Launch of Media Academy
• Launch of new vocational training programs
• Introduction of more degree programs at Masters
level
• Development of e-textbooks for K-12
Thank You!
Questions?