Allama Iqbal Open University, Distance learning university in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Allama Iqbal Open University is a distance learning institution in Islamabad offering study programs from school diplomas to doctoral research. The network includes 44 regional centers spread across the country, providing access to education in remote provinces.
The Pakistani parliament established the institution in 1974 as the first open university in Asia, modeled on the British example. Founders sought to make education accessible to people unable to attend regular colleges due to geographic or social barriers.
The institution takes its name from poet Muhammad Iqbal, known across the Indian subcontinent for his philosophical writings. Students from rural areas often pursue distance courses alongside work in agriculture or crafts, which has shifted the social fabric of many villages.
Students receive teaching materials by post and can follow lectures through television, with internet increasingly used. Many regional centers offer consultation sessions and examinations held several times a year.
The national postal service issued a commemorative stamp in 1999 for the 25th anniversary, showing the main building. More than one million people study simultaneously, making the institution one of the largest universities worldwide.
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