LAHORE, July 2nd, 2026 – In a defining moment for women’s education, economic independence, and digital empowerment in Pakistan, Tech Valley, a Google for Education Premier Partner in Pakistan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kinnaird College for Women (KCW), the country’s oldest and most prestigious institution of higher learning for women. The partnership establishes a robust, long-term framework to digitize Kinnaird’s academic ecosystem, specifically aimed at closing the gender gap in the tech sector through three core pillars: dedicated Google Career Certificate scholarships, intensive faculty AI training, and a state-of-the-art campus Gemini Corner.Â
The signing ceremony was attended by senior leadership from Allied, including Mr. Aron Seather, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ricky Seather, Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Heath Cutting, Managing Director, Allied Europe alongside the Tech Valley team, underscoring the scale and significance of this collaboration to all partners involved.
The MoU was formally signed by Mr. Umar Farooq, Chief Executive Officer of Tech Valley, and Prof. Dr. Iram Anjum, Principal of Kinnaird College for Women, in the presence of Ms. Tayyiba Fayyaz, Program Manager at Tech Valley, and Dr. Kalsoom Akhtar, Vice Principal of Kinnaird College, who witnessed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
Mr. Umar Farooq, CEO of Tech Valley, said:
“Kinnaird has shaped generations of Pakistani women since 1913, , and today we are proud to help engineer its next digital chapter. True women empowerment is deeply tied to financial autonomy and technological fluency. This commitment is designed to bridge the digital divide by giving global, industry-standard tech skills to 5,000 young women. Through this initiative, we are building an elite cadre of AI-ready women professionals who will drive Pakistan’s future digital economy.”
Prof. Dr. Iram Anjum, Principal of Kinnaird College for Women, added:
“Our vision has always been to prepare our students to lead the world they graduate into, and today that world is dictated by artificial intelligence. Partnering with Tech Valley and Google for Education allows us to bring globally recognized credentials and advanced tech innovation to our campus. By equipping our young women and faculty with these advanced capabilities, we ensure that Kinnaird graduates are not the passive participants in the global AI workforce but they are the executives, creators, and leaders heading it.”
The two-year collaboration built around three core pillars:
- GCC Scholarship Pool – Tech Valley will allocate 5000 Google Career Certificate scholarships exclusively for Kinnaird College students for the 2026-2027 academic years, independent of any broader provincial pools. The scholarships will give students access to globally recognized certifications in Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, AI Essentials, and more; equipping them with in-demand, industry-aligned skills alongside their degree programs.
- Faculty Professional Development on Gemini – Kinnaird faculty will undergo advanced training and certification arranged by Tech Valley to build proficiency in Google’s AI tools and methodologies, including Google Certified Educator (Level 1 & 2), Google Gemini Certification, and advanced training on AI Studio and Google Cloud technologies.Â
- Gemini Corner – A dedicated Gemini Corner will be established on the Kinnaird campus, giving students and faculty a physical, always-on space to engage hands-on with Google’s Gemini AI tools as part of their daily academic life, reinforcing the partnership’s ambition to make AI fluency a lived campus experience rather than a one-time workshop.
This milestone agreement reflects Tech Valley’s strategic focus on female workforce inclusion, directly addressing the critical need for diverse talent in Pakistan’s rapidly growing IT landscape. By combining Kinnaird’s academic legacy with Google’s world-class technological infrastructure, this initiative sets a benchmark for how academic institutions can intentionally engineer a genuinely inclusive, AI-ready generation.
