Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN)

1. Pakistan Education &Research Network(PERN) www.pern.edu.pk Presented by Engr. Javed Ali Memon Liaison Officer (PERN) Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad-Pakistan Email:Jmemon@hec.gov.pk 20th APAN Meeting Taipei, Taiwan

2. Contents • Organization Introduction (HEC) – An Introduction • HEC Mission • Strategic Aims • HEC Programs • Technology Infrastructure • Pakistan Education & Research Network • Background & Objectives • Core Network & Architecture • PERN Connectivity Summary • Available & Planned Services • Digital Library • PERN Development Forum (PDF) • PERN Upgradation Projects • PERN & APAN

3. HEC Mission “To Facilitate Institutions of Higher Learning to serve as an Engine of Socio-Economic Development of Pakistan”

4. Strategic Aims • Faculty Development • Curriculum Development • Improving Access & Learning • Excellence in Research • Relevance to National Priorities • Infrastructure Development ( Free Access to Literature, Free Access to Sophisticated Instruments, Technology Assisted Learning) • Good Governance & Management • Quality Assurance (Standards, Assessment, Accreditation) • Promoting Research Culture in Pakistan

5. HEC Programs • Post-Doctoral, Ph.D & Master Fellowship Programs (Local and International) • Foreign Faculty Hiring Program • National & International Research Grants Programs for Universities • Pakistan Organization of Collaborative Research (POCR) • Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council for Pakistan (SSHRC) • Digital Library Program • Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) • Students Affairs Programs • Quality Assurance Programs • Accreditation & Attestation Services

6. TechnologyInfrastructureLeveraging Information Technology • University Computerization & Networking • Computer Laboratories • Campus wide high-speed LAN • Business Process Automation • PERN • Digital Library • PAKSAT – 1 • Free use of bandwidth for educational purposes • Distance Education • Virtual University • Educational TV Channels • Video Lecturing • Information Management System • Universities Web Portals • HEC Internal & External Workspace Portal • PERN Website

7. Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) • Background • Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN) is part of the overall vision and objectives of IT Action Plan of Government of Pakistan • Leverage the existing Telecom infrastructure to boost Bandwidth

8. PERN Objectives • Provide state of the art Telecomm infrastructure and services to Educational and Research institutions • A dedicated Educational Network for Public/Private Universities & Higher learning Institutions registered with the HEC Government of Pakistan. • The interconnectivity Between all universities / institutes which will provide integration of data banks, collaboration for research and development activities and up-gradation of teaching and learning skills. • Access of Digital Library • Provision of Internet Services (hosting and provide relevant information to their users) • To develop a network which functions like a Enterprise/VPN/VoIP • Availability of Offline Contents • Connectivity with Other Educational Networks worldwide. • Access Platform for Distance Learning and Video Conferencing facilities.

9. Sponsors • Higher Education Commission • Ministry of IT & Telecomm • Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd (PTCL) • National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC)

10. PERN Core Network • Using the Existing Optical Fiber System of PTCL/NTC and IP/ATM backbone of NTC • The network design of PERN consists of three nodal points (PoPs) at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi • The interconnectivity between Nodal Points is 50 Mbps. • The educational institutions are connected to their respective nodal point by minimum 2Mbps link from the nearest exchange of NTC/PTCL using OFS, DXX , DRS, Radio or VSAT • The 155 Mbps Internet Bandwidth is distributed at three nodal points.

11. PERN Architecture 33 Mbps International Bandwidth Lahore Core Router/ATM 12 Universities Replica of Kr./Iba 65 Mbps International Bandwidth 57 Mbps International Bandwidth 50 Mbps 50 Mbps Karachi Core Router/ATM Islamabad Core Router/ATM 26 Universities 21 Universities LAN Switch 50 Mbps Customer University LAN Switch Access Router Access Router DRS DRS DRS DRS OF Node OFS DXX DXX OFS OFS DXX DXX University University University University

16. Application and Services • Current Services • International Bandwidth, Public IP Addresses, High BW Data Transfer • Digital Library: >17000 Journals • Point-to-Point Videoconferencing • Services Under Beta Trial • Multipoint Videoconferencing • COI Content Generation and Sharing system • Open Source Knowledge Repository • Planned Services • Video Lecturing and Web Streaming • VoIP • Distributed Content Servers: Knowledge Repositories • Resource Sharing • Automated Transactions • Connectivity to International Research Networks

17. Digital Library • Mission • To build and strengthen the research culture in Pakistan. • Integrate Digital Library usage into the educational and research process • INASP negotiated licenses and access with the publishers • 17000+ research Journals can also be access through PERN • Available Resources • University Resources • AMS • ACS • APS • AAPT • ASM • ACM • ASCE • ASAE • OSA • AIP • ASME • PERI Resources • Springer Link • Blackwell Synergy • Ebscohost • Royal Society of Chemistry • Bentham Science • Mary Ann Liebert • Oxford University Press • Palgrave Macmillan • ISI Web of Knowledge • Elsevier Science Direct • British Library

18. PERN Development Forum • Mission • To develop PERN into a world class Education and Research Network for collaboration of Pakistani Universities and Research Institutions amongst themselves and with researchers around the world. • PERN Development Forum Working Groups • Live Applications • Networking Issues • Knowledge Repositories • National Cache • Open Source Implementation • Technical Support • PERN Website • Shared Applications

19. PERN Upgradation Projects • PERN Core Upgradation • The project is designed to increase the Bandwidth (core) up to E3 level and Increase the number of PoPs (Core Nodes) from 3 to 9 for PERN connected universities. • Capital Cost of project • Total Rs. 250.679 Million • Annual Recurring expenditure after completion • Total Rs. 46.2 Million • Last Mile PERN Connectivity of Universities (Extension to PERN) • To provide PERN connectivity to more universities to give our students, faculty members, administration the fully automated environment by using modern Information & Communication technologies. • Capital Cost of project • Total Rs. 174.902 Million • Annual Recurring expenditure after completion • Total Rs. 31.382 Million

20. Video Conferencing • PERN is a infrastructure to conduct the distance learning programs. • HEC has funded Rs. 196 Million to purchase and setup the Video Conferencing equipment at 56 public sector universities and higher learning institutions. • This service will be augmented with two MCUs, one at each northern and southern regions of the country.

21. Other Activities across Pakistan • Collaboration with CERN and SLAC on GRID Technology • Research on GRID Architecture • Software development for GRID Applications • CMS Production • Development of Urdu Language Software Extendable to Regional Language • Open Source Software Initiatives • E-Governance Program • IT Infrastructure in Colleges/Polytechnics • IT Programs for Provincial, District and City Governments • Industrial Information Network (IIN) • Initiatives for Promotion of Local Software Industry

22. PERN & APAN • PERN is a Primary Member of APAN • Need of Physical connectivity between PERN and APAN • Connectivity can be setup through any APAN Member Country • To Carry out Collaborative research with the Universities and Higher learning institutions of APAN members countries

23. Conclusion • Pakistan has a strong telecommunication and networking infrastructure for educational research needs. • Linkage to APAN consortium will help both in contributing to the common cause of promoting education and research in the region.