Australia Awards South and West Asia

Australia Awards – Pakistan recently hosted an alumni workshop focused on enhancing knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence (AI). The event also provided a valuable forum for alumni to reconnect, share insights and explore new opportunities.

The event on 19 December 2025 brought together 35 alumni in Islamabad to discuss the theme of ‘Artificial Intelligence and its Ethical Use’. AI has become a buzzword in recent years, sparking curiosity about what the future might hold. AI has undoubtedly changed the way humans think and work, and it is ready to transform lives in the years ahead.

Dr Naveed Iftikhar, co-founder of atomcamp (an educational technology platform focused on providing accessible education in the fields of data science and AI), served as the primary resource person for the session. He shared insights about the history of AI, its evolution over time, and common myths surrounding the technology. The discussion concluded with an engaging question and answer session, during which participants explored examples of practical use of AI in their respective fields and deliberated on how to leverage AI responsibly and effectively. “Learning and using AI does not require a technical background,” Dr Naveed commented. “Rather, what matters most is understanding one’s own domain and identifying where AI can add value.” This message strongly resonated with the attendees and became a highlight of the event.

Dr Naveed sharing his insights at the session.

The participants, all of whom were Australia Awards Scholarship and Short Course alumni, represented a diverse mix of professionals from the public and private sectors as well as academia. Among them was Rasheed Ahmad, who is currently working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Sharing his thoughts on the session, he said, “The AI discussion convened by Australia Awards – Pakistan for alumni is a commendable step toward fostering continuous, contemporary learning.”

“For me, it transformed curiosity into confidence and demonstrated how AI can be meaningfully integrated into UNFPA’s humanitarian programs, particularly in data management, to enhance impact and efficiency.”

Alumni participating in the session.

Jaeger Konidaris, Second Secretary at the Australian High Commission in Pakistan, also attended the session and expressed his appreciation to the participants for their active engagement. He commended the efforts of all involved in planning and executing such an insightful session on a topic of great importance.

Mr Konidaris addressing the audience during the session.