Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque has said that the establishment of the Center of Excellence in Gaming and Animation (CEGA) at NED University is a gift from the Ministry of IT to the youth of this city.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque has said that the establishment of the Center of Excellence in Gaming and Animation (CEGA) at NED University is a gift from the Ministry of IT to the youth of this city. Haque said, Karachi which contributes 67% of the revenue in the country's economy i.e. runs the entire country. No serious steps have ever been taken to run this city and for the welfare and development of its residents. MQM is the only party which, whenever the power and resources were available, first did exemplary work for the urban areas of Sindh including Karachi.
The gaming and animation industry in the world has a volume of more than 500 billion dollars, of which Pakistan's share is limited to only 50 million dollars. We hope that through the CEGA, Pakistan will be able to turn its short segment into a big one in the gaming and animation industry. This he stated on Saturday in the MoU signing ceremony held in NED University Karachi. The MoU was signed by Asim Shahryar Husain, CEO Ignite National Technology Fund, a public sector company affiliated with Ministry of IT & Telecom (MoITT) and Syed Ghazanfar Hussain, Registrar NED University Karachi. The event was attended by officers from Ministry of IT & Telecom, Ignite, NED University Karachi and professionals from industry & academia.
Syed Amin Ul Haque welcomed the establishment of CEGA, stating that the government is committed to supporting the growth of the technology and creative industries in Pakistan, and the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Gaming and Animation is a step in the right direction. Ministry of IT and Ignite National Technology Fund believe that Pakistan has great potential to meet both demand and supply side of the gaming and animation industry. We believe that this initiative will provide the necessary skills and platform to the youth of Pakistan to contribute to the gaming and animation industry while also aiding the country's economy.
He said that the gaming and animation industry has seen tremendous growth owing to the availability of the internet, satellite TV, mobile devices, social media, and growing demand for entertainment, gaming, animation movies, and visual effects. CEGA will provide a platform to the tech and arts industry to come forward, learn and enhance their gaming and animation skills and will also aid the national economy to capture the market share in billion-dollar worldwide gaming and animation industry.
“In this most important event today, I am happy that an important step is being taken towards the realization of this dream, in which I am paving the way for the development and development of not only Karachi but the country and the nation”, IT Minister added.
About the project the Federal Minister for IT said the State of the Art Center of Excellence and Animation and Gaming at NED University to be established on 13 thousand square feet will cost Rupees 1.5 billion and will be functional in next 6 months.
The most expensive animation and gaming courses will be provided to 2,000 students annually through this center through physical and virtual attendance. The center will also host 20 start-ups every year, which will not only provide an ideal environment to the talented youth with imaginative abilities but also provide an easy observation for new learners. This center will also provide space to 50 companies working in gaming and animation, which will enable them to do their work with better adaptation and technology and allow students to share their ideas and work methods with them.
Syed Amin Ul Haque further said, along with this center, Pakistan's first modern Virtual Production Studio is also being established at cost of Rs. 1 billion. This studio will enable our talented professionals to produce world-class gaming and animation project with the help of state-of-the-art cameras and equipment.
Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, Vice Chancellor NED University, commended the initiative and stressed the importance of providing a dedicated platform for youth to hone their gaming and animation skills. He said, "As an educational institution, we recognize the importance of fostering creativity and technical expertise among our youth. The gaming and animation industry is a dynamic and growing sector, and CEGA has the potential to drive innovation and job creation in Pakistan".
Syed Junaid Imam, Member IT MoITT, stated that the establishment of the Center of Excellence exclusively for Gaming and Animation (CEGA) by Ministry of IT & Telecom and Ignite National Technology Fund represents a significant step forward for the gaming and animation industry of Pakistan.
Through CEGA as an enabler, our goal will be to take Pakistan’s gaming and animation exports to $500 million within the next five years.
Earlier in his welcome address, Asim Shahryar Husain, CEO Ignite stated that, “The aim of this program is to make Pakistan one of the key regional players in the gaming, animation, and multimedia industry by providing proper equipment, co-working facilities, and trainings over a period of five (5) years. CEGA has the potential to contribute significantly to the growth of the industry and to the country's economy and exports./Ends