This document summarizes ICT initiatives in higher education in Pakistan. It discusses the establishment of the Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN) to connect universities, the expansion of PERN2 with more connectivity and bandwidth, and efforts to provide national digital libraries, online journals, unified communication services, and a higher education management information system across Pakistan. The future roadmap includes expanding wireless networks, increasing videoconferencing capabilities, and implementing campus management solutions at additional universities.
ICT Initiatives Transforming Higher Education in Pakistan
1. ICT Status in Higher Education Sector of Pakistan Initiatives, Achievements and Future Roadmap Higher Education Commission Islamabad – Pakistan
2. Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Serving as Engine to Socio-Economic Development of PAKISTAN Technology for Rapid and Sustainable Growth Technology to Leap-Frog Technology Driving the Knowledge Economy
3. HEC Strategic Aims ICT helping overcoming Challenges Unified Communication Faculty Development Improving Access & Learning Excellence in Research Relevance to National Priorities HEC Scholars Publication National Internship Program Outreaching Core National Digital Library National Video Conferencing Program Teaching & Learning Pakistan Research Repository Turnitin/ iThenticate: Plagiarism Detection Tool PERN 2 Services Quality Assurance: Standards, Assessment, Accreditation University Ranking & Statistical System Reservation System for Degree Attestation National Higher Education Web Portal Information System Support Good Governance & Management Higher Education Management Information System (ERP & Campus Management Solution) National Higher Education Job Portal Education Management National Data Center Computerization & Networking Projects Network Operation Center Infrastructure Development: Physical, Technology Infrastructure National Research & Education Network: PERN
10. Higher Education Job Portal Posting of positions advertised by HEC Universities are also provided this facility to post their positions as well National Job Portal for job seekers in higher education sector More than 20,000 registered users
50. Major Projects/ Programs Infrastructure National Digital Library E-Journals E-Books Pakistan Research Repository HEC Scholars Publication Higher Education MIS Campus Management Solution e-HEC Public Services HEC Web Portal Higher Education Job Portal Degree Attestation University Ranking System Graduates Repository Turnitin: Anitplagirism Software Mirror Site(s) Services Provisioning ICT Reforms (Computerization & Networking in Universities) Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN/PERN2) R&E links to other NRENs Video Conferencing Systems National Data Centers Nationwide IP Telephony (VoIP) PAKSAT-1 31
51. Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) The National Research & Education Network of Pakistan
52. A project to fulfill the overall vision and objectives of IT Action Plan of the Government of Pakistan, A dedicated digital communication network interlinking all public/private sector chartered universities/ degree awarding institutes. Provides integration of data banks, collaboration for research and development activities and up-gradation of teaching and learning skills. Connectivity with Other Education and Research Networks worldwide. PERN Overview
56. PERN2 project A multi-gigabit network for the education and research community of Pakistan
57. Proposed as to upgrade the PERN network with respect to; Last Mile Connectivity of universities to Fiber Optic System Increase the number of PoPs from three (03) to thirteen (13) across the country Start-up Phase
58. A high speed multi-gigabit dedicated network for universities/institutes/research centers of Pakistan. Achieving following for the nation NREN as per International norms and standard High level of data/information security Resource and information sharing both centralized and distributed Objectives
59. Network up gradation through Eight (8) Regional Access (RA) PoPs in major cities Three (3) Core Regional Access (cRA-PoPs) Five (5) Sub Regional Access (sRA-PoPs) Twelve (12) Local Access (LA) PoPs with in these cities 1 Gbps connectivity to universities/ institutes 10 Gbps fiber rings in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad 10x Gbps nationwide fiber link 2.5 Gbps Commodity Internet 155x Mbps R&E link to other NRENs of the world Scope & Targets
63. The New International R&E Link Internet2 & TEIN2/3 TEIN2 and our colleagues from Japan will provide transit from the TEIN2 PoP in Singapore to the TransPac node in Japan, and from there TranPac will provide transit to the Pacific Wave exchange to finally take the circuit terminating to Internet2.
64. Initiations APAN 2006 in Taipei IU/TEIN2/HEC is bridged together in July 2006 MoU signed between PERN/HEC & Internet2 in December 2006 Idea floated Proposal of a dedicated link between PERN and Internet2 on cost sharing basis is floated in the Joint Committee Meeting on Science & Technology between Pakistan & USA in February 2007 Follow-up Co-PI follows up with NSF in April 2007 PI visits Pakistan in April 2008 History
65. Proposal submission/ approval A Joint Proposal is submitted by James Williams to NSF in July 2007 Proposal gets approval in September 2007 Materialization Request for Proposal document for bidding process get prepared in December 2007 Tender Process Advertisement goes public in January 2008 Tender is awarded in April 2008 Trilateral Agreement between HEC, IU/NSF and PTCL is signed on July 2008 Progress
66. Circuit Commissioned August 15, 2008 TEIN2 and our colleagues from Japan provided transit from the TEIN2 PoP in Singapore to the TransPac node in Japan, and from there TransPac provides transit to the Pacific Wave exchange to finally take the circuit terminating to Internet2 Inaugural Session The official launch of this connectivity was in 2008. Updates/ Status
69. PERN is in close coordination with people at Dante, GEANT2, and EC PERN has been taking part in TEIN2 meetings and was advised for its inclusion in TEIN3 project PERN is participating in the Feasibility Study being conducted by Dante Feasibility Study report is expected to be finalized by early next year Circuit commissioning is expected to be materialized somewhere in December 2009 (subject to PERN acceptance in TEIN3 project) Progress and Status
71. Collaborative Projects PERN- Providing necessary infrastructure and connectivity for collaborative research and activities 6/10/2011 52
72. EVO Panda Server Collaborative and Interactive communication PingER Monitoring Network health monitoring Bio-Informatics Node Part of Asia-Pacific Molecular Biology Network (A-IMBN) program Tele-Medicine Bridging the HealthNet with PERN/PERN2 High Energy Physics The largest project on the planet, Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is going to be operational, providing real data to the scientists. Few Major Research Activities
74. Operations Facility Independent Network Connectivity Phones on the Desk Dial in # +92 (51) 9040 PERN (7376) Office Communicator UAN – 111 11 PERN Wall mounted display for PERN2 nodes monitoring Seating space of Three (03) level support Space for Two (2) persons for PERN2 Help desk Space for Four (4) persons for 1st level support Three offices for Senior Staff Workstations for all staff and Servers for network monitoring Glass partitioned space for PERN2 facilities NOC Components
75. Network Monitoring Software Orion Solarwind Huawei Datacomm Monitoring System (DMS) Service Communication Trouble ticketing facility to the member institutes Dedicated servers with SAN storage Email notifications of alerts/ alarms of various levels PERN2 public interface http://www.pern.edu.pk/ Management Software
76. Future Roadmap Outreaching with Infrastructure College Network of Pakistan (CNP)(Extending PERN2 to PERN3) Education Management Plan Setting up Higher Education Management Information System at all universities Educational Alliance Microsoft Oracle Learning Tools Development & Management