Wah Cantt: (Parliament Times) Former Vice-Chancellor of UET Taxila, Professor Qaiser-ul-Zaman, on Saturday urged young people to acquire cutting-edge digital skills to effectively respond to emerging global challenges and remain competitive in the international job market. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of DigiBoost Institute in Wah Model Town, he stressed that technological literacy and innovation are now indispensable tools for progress in the modern era.
The state-of-the-art DigiBoost Institute was formally inaugurated at a well-attended ceremony that brought together educationists, professionals, students and members of the local community. In his keynote address, Prof Qaiser-ul-Zaman highlighted the transformative role of digital education, noting that countries investing in IT-driven skills development are better positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
A number of prominent speakers, including Chaudhry Ata-ur-Rahman, Qazi Tariq (Director Sales, New City Phase II), Mushtaq Hussain Qureshi (Director, Foundation School), Usman Gul (Director, Punjab Schools), Arshad Mughal (Director, Jinnah Islamia Schools), Munir Baig (Deputy Director, International Islamic University Islamabad), Madam Faiza and Imran Ahmed, also addressed the gathering. They emphasised the need to integrate modern technology into education and described the establishment of DigiBoost Institute as a timely initiative aimed at equipping youth with market-relevant skills.
Khizar-ur-Rahman, Managing Director of DigiBoost Institute, outlined the vision behind the project, stating that the institute is committed to delivering practical, industry-oriented training in emerging digital fields. He said the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between conventional academic learning and the evolving demands of the technology sector by providing hands-on experience to students.
The ceremony was hosted by Madam Mehrukh, who conducted the proceedings in a professional manner. Among other notable attendees were Dr Mato Shakir Hussain, owner of Pizza Base, and Malik Naeem Khan, owner of YMS Bakery, who appreciated the initiative and expressed optimism about its potential to expand educational opportunities in the region.
A key highlight of the event was the distribution of awards among students who demonstrated outstanding performance in various educational competitions. Special recognition awards were presented to Manahil Saeed and Malik Hasher Awan for their exceptional achievements.
According to the results, Aiman Shehzadi from UET Taxila secured the first position and was awarded a laptop for her project “Agro AI Agent for Farmers”. Hafsa Munir, also from UET Taxila, clinched the second position and received an iPad for developing a “Guarantee Return AI Chatbot”. Saqib Shehzad of Virtual University obtained the third position and was awarded a mobile phone for his work on an “Autonomous AI Agent in E-Commerce”.
Other position holders included M Abdullah Waqar, Hasan Munir, Kashif Ali, Mehreen Anwar, Aram BB, Nabiha Khalid and Hafza Arif, who were recognised for their innovative projects in areas such as e-commerce automation, chatbot integration and AI-driven platforms.
The ceremony concluded on an encouraging note, with participants commending DigiBoost Institute’s initiative to promote digital education and expressing confidence that it would emerge as a leading centre for skill development in the region.