Islamabad, April 28 (Online): A memorandum of understanding was signed here on Thursday for the provision of the electric motorcycles to students and staff members of Government College University Lahore at a discounted price as part of their Green Campus initiative.
GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Asghar Zaidi and Jolta Electric Chief Executive Officer Mr Usman Sheikh signed the accord at a graceful ceremony at the University’s Bukhari Auditorium.
US Consul General Lahore Kathleen Gibilisco was also present on this occasion as a special Guest of Honor and was pleased with the efforts made by the GCU Lahore to encourage environmental awareness and green initiatives in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Zaidi said GCU has become the first university in Pakistan to make the campus green by taking steps to reduce carbon emissions. He said they banned plastic bags on campus and are shifting their energy needs on solar.
The Vice-Chancellor added that GCU would provide various facilities to its students including free parking and the installation of chargers on the campus to promote the use of electric bikes.
The US Consul General said climate change is a challenge that requires cooperation and commitment. “It poses serious risks to families, businesses, and economies,” she added.
Kathleen Gibilisco appreciated the initiative of GCU to encourage its students and staff to use electric vehicles through free parking and on-campus charging. “We all see an acute need to take action to decrease emissions that contribute to smog. The latest trends show that to mitigate climate change, electric vehicles will become increasingly common, and Pakistan has great potential as a producer and as an exporter of electric vehicles to the region,” she added.
Kathleen Gibilisco said the US and Pakistani companies can partner to bring high-quality electric vehicles and their parts to Pakistan, which will also kickstart the domestic market.
The US Consul General also expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for a campus tour of his historical educational institution which produced great scholars.
Usman Sheikh said that the establishment of EV industry in the current era and its export in near future will significantly have positive impact on Pakistan’s economy. He said that under the Vision “Clean Green Pakistan”, the number of electric vehicles in Pakistan will increase by 30% by 2030.
Global Business Director of Jolta Electric Mr. Iftikhar Hussain EV motorcycle produced in Pakistan are better than the Chinese motorcycle in many ways as we spent years in research on batteries so that the motorcycle could provide better mileage.
Regarding the signing of another MoU with GCU related to reducing industry-academia gap, Chief Happiness Officer of OZI Group and Jolta Electric Mr. Haroon Akhtar stated that the only way to scale “guided talent pool” and to do capacity building in highly in-demand technical & non-technical skills is through “Consistent Collaboration” among industry-academia.
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