Punjab nursing programme partners with AKU

Five-year collaboration focuses on postgraduate education, faculty development and workforce capacity

IV Report

LAHORE: A five-year partnership between the Punjab Government’s Nursing & Health Workforce Reform Programme (PNHWRP) and Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is set to focus on postgraduate nursing education, faculty development, curriculum reform and strengthening of the province’s nursing workforce.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between the Programme Implementation Unit of PNHWRP and AKU-SONAM on Wednesday, will support the Punjab Government’s efforts to improve nursing and allied health education under the reform programme, which is being funded by the Asian Development Bank for implementation from 2026 to 2030.

A key component of the collaboration will be expanded opportunities for nursing professionals and educators in Punjab to pursue AKU’s Master of Science in Nursing and PhD in Nursing programmes.

The partnership also covers review and reform of nursing curricula, continuing professional development, faculty exchange, research mentorship and joint publications, as well as technical advisory support and visiting professorships.

Another focus will be the introduction and strengthening of simulation-based education, including development of simulation laboratories and digital learning resources and learning management systems. Nursing leadership and governance have also been included among the areas for collaboration.

According to the agreement, specific programmes will be developed through mutually agreed activity agreements and work plans, subject to institutional approvals, available resources and applicable policies.

Dr Salimah Walani, Dean of AKU-SONAM, said the collaboration provided an opportunity to improve the standards and quality of nursing education while strengthening nurses’ knowledge, competence and leadership.

PNHWRP Programme Director Tariq Mehmood said the partnership would bring academic expertise and technical capacity to the government’s efforts to strengthen nursing and allied health education and build a “future-ready” health workforce.

The agreement represents a formal academic component of the Punjab nursing workforce reform programme, with implementation expected to run through 2030.

Based on an AKU press release. 

Images courtesy: AKU

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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