Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar has inaugurated a state-of-the-art Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Lab at the National University of Technology (NUTECH), marking a significant step towards strengthening technology-enabled education, advanced computing and digital innovation in Pakistan.
The VDI Lab is designed to provide students, faculty and researchers with centralized and secure access to high-performance computing resources and specialized software. The facility is expected to enhance practical learning, support advanced research, facilitate innovation and enable greater collaboration among students and researchers.
The initiative also reflects the growing role of industry-academia partnerships in developing Pakistan’s future technological workforce. A delegation from Huawei Pakistan attended the inauguration, while Zong supported the initiative as an industry partner. Zong and Huawei have described the facility as part of broader efforts to enable secure, flexible and future-ready digital learning at NUTECH.
The inauguration was attended by NUTECH Rector Lt Gen (R) Engineer Moazzam Ejaz, Zong Executive Director Government and Corporate Sales Services Muhammad Farooq Raza Khan and Huawei CTO Meng Gencang, among other officials and representatives.
During his visit, Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar toured various academic, research, entrepreneurship, skills development and innovation facilities at NUTECH. He was briefed on the university’s ongoing initiatives and visited facilities including the National Engineering and Innovation Centre (NEIC), National Incubation Centre (NIC), Office of Student Affairs (OSA), National Skills Development Directorate (NSDD) and Mechanical Labs.
The HEC chairman appreciated NUTECH’s efforts to strengthen technological excellence, quality education, research, entrepreneurship and innovation. He emphasized the importance of equipping students with modern technological capabilities to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy.
The launch of the VDI Lab comes as Pakistani universities are increasingly focusing on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, digital learning, research and market-oriented skills. HEC Chairman Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar has previously called for stronger collaboration between universities and industry to improve academic standards and equip young people with skills relevant to national development.
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With centralized access to advanced computing infrastructure and specialized digital tools, the new NUTECH facility is expected to create more opportunities for hands-on learning, technology research and innovation, further strengthening the university’s role in preparing Pakistan’s future-ready technology professionals.
