Karachi: The Federal Ministry of Information Technology has announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Gaming and Animation Technology at the NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi in six months at a cost of Rs2.5 billion.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the NED University and Ignite National Technology Fund, a subsidiary of the IT Ministry.
The centre will offer free courses in gaming and animation technology to up to 2,000 students in a year.
These courses will be conducted both with both on campus and virtually.
Federal IT Minister Syed Aminul Haq said the centre was being established as a gift for the youth of Karachi for their professional development keeping in view the massive contribution of the provincial capital to the national revenue pool.
He told the audience that the volume of business in the global gaming and animation industry was around $500 billion with the share of Pakistan limited to just $50 million.
He said that the development of this important field of the IT industry had been ignored by the past governments in the country.
He said the present government had the firm resolve to promote IT services and technology in all the provinces on a uniform basis.
Haq said the centre would be established on a 13,000 square feet area that would provide space to 50 IT-related companies for the promotion of gaming and animation technology.
These companies will get the opportunity of direct interaction with the IT students for sharing and implementation of new ideas.
The minister said that the facility of a studio with modern recording equipment would be part of the new centre for virtual productions. He hoped that the studio would go a long way to increase its share of Pakistan in the global gaming and animation industry.
The government has the aim that Pakistani exports in the field of gaming and animation should increase to $500 million per annum in the next five years.
Vice-Chancellor of NED University, Prof Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, expressed gratitude to the IT Ministry for its support in setting up the new centre on the campus of the university to enhance the IT qualification of Pakistani youth.
