Some Accomplishments

In pursuit of the above objectives, PLANWEL has established two virtual sites (POP - Point of Presence) for R&D at Karachi, Pakistan with suitable infrastructure and hopes to provide a good testing ground for the Institutions of higher learning of the International Research Community. Once certain about the quality and reliability of transmission and receiving at our end, it can be replicated all over the region which could easily reach the masses not only in Pakistan but also extending over the region to neighboring and Central Asian countries. This has been achieved with the assistance of research institutions and institutions of higher learning in developed countries. To assure quality services PLANWEL has formed partnerships with various international organizations as listed below.

In order to assure quality education, research and development, Planwel University has partnered with Utah State University, USA to establish the first Utah State University and PLANWEL (POP - Point of Presence). It is the first instance that a leading Carnegie Foundation For Education Classified Research University-I is opening up its International Center in the region; which is a major step towards quality education, research and development in the region.

Note - Research University-I offer a full range of baccalaureate programs, are committed to graduate education through the doctorate, and give high priority to research. They award 50 or more doctoral degrees each year. In addition, they receive annually $40 million or more in USA federal support.

PLANWEL is also working with MUCIA for finding ways to deliver its courses at PLANWEL POP’s - MUCIA GLOBAL is a subsidiary of the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities, Inc. MUCIA is an international educational and training organization comprised of, The Ohio State University, University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, The Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and University of Wisconsin. MUCIA has formed MUCIA GLOBAL for the purpose of, among other things, participating with educational institutions and organizations in other countries to utilize new technologies to make the educational capabilities of MUCIA's member institutions available and accessible on a worldwide basis to meet the growing global need for education and training.

PLANWEL is further working with EUNIS - European University Information Systems Organization; Responsible for the management and development of information systems in higher education in Europe has designated PLANWEL as a National member for forming a network of other universities and Institutions of higher learning in Pakistan through the PLANWEL Academic and Research Network and has established its branch in Pakistan as Planwel Academic and Research Network. Under it PLANWEL has also established Pakistan Library Network http://www.planwel.edu/Research/libraries.html - an electronic access network of all the regional libraries for furthering research and development; as per the mission statement of PLANWEL for Building Technology Based Communities and Bringing Technology to the People. It is an effort to ensure that all underprivileged communities in the region have equal access to information. For this PLANWEL is also mirroring on its server a database of world libraries LIBweb http://www.planwel.edu/Libweb/libweb-mirror/ maintained by University of California Berkley and Sun Microsystems, Inc.

§ PLANWEL is building the Technology Based Communities and Bringing Technology to the     People. It is an effort to ensure that all-underprivileged community in the region, cities, towns     and villages have equal access to information. PLANWEL has also established 5 such POP     during the year 2000 with the community partnership of the private sector

§ PLANWEL has been already designated as an Administrative Centre for sub region Pakistan     in the Asia-Pacific region of the GLOBAL UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

§ PLANWEL has formed a consortium with OARNet , USA and Academic Content providers for       brining in Internet 2 connectivity to Pakistan for there distance learning programme and     collaborative R&D projects.

The  PLANWEL Virtual  University  POP - Point  of  Presence

Under Phase 1: PLANWEL wishes to collaborate with organizations, initially for R&D; to prepare, plan, design, implement and run the international educational center (POP - Point of Presence) with the help of partners, in Pakistan. This would include conducting such graduate courses, which are ready for delivery in areas such as computer science, engineering, management, environment and town planning, health care, and library sciences etc.

Under Phase 2: Setting up distance learning centers (POP - Point of Presence) based on the results of R&D conducted in phase 1 of the project following the concepts of Internet; and broad band delivery, making it possible to truly act as The Virtual University (POP - Point of Presence) site. The concept will be to deliver collaborating university courses through different media’s to this center which on the other hand will be equipped with receiving equipment and state of the art Information technology.

Under Phase 3: Setting up of (POP - Point Of Presence) sites in the region extending from the Middle Eastern countries to the Central Asia.

This magnet of development “THE (POP’s - Point Of Presence)” itself will induce enough movement to bring the needed changes for socio-economic improvements. In projects like these where long term planning is involved immediate results are not reflected; though the projected implications will be vast. Now just by taking higher education as an example; if a student leaves Pakistan for higher education she/he spends USD $20,000 at least for a year for the education outside Pakistan but if the same education is provided through the Planwel Virtual University (POP’s - Point Of Presence) it could be easily imagined how much money could be saved by these families. Further this concept will provide a student enrolled in the program a more wider spectrum on the subject being taught, since, the student will have access to resources and professors from around the world. Thus it will not just benefit the student itself but it will have long term impact on the community and at the same time these (POP’s - Point Of Presence) will stimulate research and development and provide a local research base for the developed world.

Telemedicine &  Telemetics

PLANWEL has an arrangement with international Vedio conferencing organization and is in the process of establishing an international medical network linking key international cities. The concept is to provide similarly equipped sites, which offer interactive connections. The sites would be used for medical conferences and consultations and medical education programs. The end users are expected to be patients and families experiencing medical situations. Each city in the network will be setting up both a public videoconferencing room and a major hospital to participate with PLANWEL. The public rooms would handle medical education programs and simple consultations and telemedicine procedures.

ALCOS Program

The ALCOS program offered on the pattern of a franchise that will have an identified value and standard of quality in the software market. This will ensure that ALCOS will immediately after its registration will assume a profile that is associated with identified levels of quality. Added to this is the advantage of being associated with and being marketed with the national software initiative. This translates into immediate recognition in the export market for graduates of ALCOS as eminently employable individuals who would have received training with an emphasis on the demands of this international software market.