CPEC Center of Excellence at Air University School of Management, Islamabad was established in Feb 2018.
Establishment Ceremony of “CPEC Center of Excellence at Air University School of Management” was held in Islamabad (main) campus of Air University.
Minister of State and Chair Board of Investment Mr. Naeem Y. Zamindar inaugurated the center.
Prof. Dr. Idrees Khawaja (Dean Air University School of Management), Mr. Muhammad Saleem Ranjha (Additional Secretary/ Executive Director General BOI), AVM (R) Tariq Matin (Director Academics), Air Cdre (R) Muhammad Saleem (Registrar AU), Air Cdre (R) Afzaal Ahmad (Director ORIC), Air Cdre (R) Abdul Wahab Motla (Director QEC), Dr. S. K. Shahzad (Head CPEC Center AU) were present at the occasion.
On behalf of Air University Prof. Dr. Idrees Khawaja delivered the welcome speech. He suggested that establishment of CPEC Center of Excellence at AU was an important step and would have significant and positive impact on CPEC related research. Other senior officials representing AU had also ensured that center shall play its role in promoting research relating international business especially Export Processing Zones.
Mr. Naeem Y. Zamindar, said that he assigned high value to CPEC Centers of Excellence in Pakistan, especially the ones that operate at the universities’ level. He hoped that scholarly community of China and Pakistan, through these Centers shall increase the overall cooperation to give boost to the science and technology.
Projects at CPEC Center of Excellence AUSOM
✓ For Pakistan, China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a fate changer. Technically this south Asian developing country will act as an Entrepot to China. In this newly developing contextual setting, Export Processing Zones (EPZs) will have significant implications not only for the economy of Pakistan but also for the economy of whole globe. Apart from economic contributions, EPZs—as an important tool to promote international trade—are expected to contribute towards human welfare in Pakistan.
Therefore, CPEC Center of Excellence at AU, aims to understand how the contribution of EPZs towards human welfare, in post-CPEC scenario can be maximized in Pakistan. Towards this end, a project tilted “Positioning for Maximal Gain: How the Human Welfare Output of Export Processing Zones in a Developing Country’s context can be maximized?” was proposed to Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. HEC has approved Rs. 1.76 Million for completion of this project in 30 months.
Successful completion of this project shall help Ministry of Industries, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Ministry of Climate Change, Export Processing Zones Authority etc. Moreover, export related industries—textile steel, hi-tech industry, gem & jewelry, software houses, information technology based industries, precession engineering, blister, copper, gold, lead and zinc, steel billets, direct reduced Iron (DRI) and many other industries listed on official website of Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) will indirectly benefit from this study Please See: http://www.epza.gov.pk
✓ In another project, CPEC Center of Excellence at AUSOM is also helping Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis (Overseas Pakistani Foundation) in establishing the state of the art university in Islamabad Pakistan.