Islamabad, July 9, 2026: Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) Mr. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Smart Classroom to virtually interact with students enrolled in the ACT AI Online Short Course on Artificial Intelligence skills. The visit was followed by a meeting with HEC officials to review the programme’s progress and discuss plans for expanding AI education and strengthening industry linkages for Pakistani youth.
HEC was represented by Dr Nasir Khan, Member Quality Assurance; Dr Shafiqu e Rehman, Member Strategic Planning; and officials from the IT and Curriculum Division involved in implementing the ACT AI initiative.
During the virtual interaction, students from higher education institutions across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan shared their experiences and praised the programme’s quality of instruction, practical curriculum and relevance to industry needs. They also pointed out areas for improvement, and Chairman PMYP assured them that their feedback would be included in future phases of the initiative.
Rana Mashhood said the ACT AI initiative reflects the government’s commitment to preparing Pakistani youth for opportunities in the digital economy. He said the programme, launched under the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is being implemented through collaboration between PMYP, HEC, NAVTTC and ACT AI to equip young people with modern AI skills. He also said work is underway on Pakistan’s first uniform AI curriculum and that future cohorts will continue to include the latest developments in artificial intelligence.
The meeting also focused on the programme’s next phase and ways to build a stronger AI talent pipeline. Participants discussed expanding collaboration with Ignite, NAVTTC, the National Incubation Center, the Pakistan Software Export Board, the Pakistan Software Houses Association and university incubation centres. These partnerships are intended to provide students with internships, mentoring, entrepreneurship support, industry exposure and employment opportunities.
Officials said the programme’s first cohort has already shown encouraging results, with several alumni now serving as instructors and mentors. The participants agreed to continue the programme through structured two month cohorts, with follow up coordination meetings planned with partner organizations to strengthen implementation and industry engagement.
HEC officials also briefed the meeting on wider efforts to improve computing education and graduate employability. These include the National Skill Competency Test, which benchmarks the skills of final year computing students against industry requirements, and HEC’s recent decision to introduce a mandatory Artificial Intelligence course across undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
Appreciating HEC’s role in delivering the initiative through its Smart Classroom network, Mr. Rana Mashhood commended the Commission’s efforts to expand access to quality digital education and reaffirmed PMYP’s commitment to working with HEC and partner organizations to build a skilled, innovative and globally competitive workforce.
