Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Smart Fusion Technologies and CollabP to launch a collaborative initiative aimed at transforming students’ Final Year Projects into market-oriented Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products for international markets.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Dr. Ayyaz Hussain, Chairperson, Department of Computer Sciences, and Prof. Dr. Adeel Anjum, Director, Institute of Information Technology, on behalf of Quaid-i-Azam University.

Mr. Inam Ullah, Chief Executive Officer of Smart Fusion Technologies, and Mr. Farhan Esar Shah, Chief Executive Officer of CollabP, signed the document on behalf of their respective organizations.

Prof Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Vice Chancellor Quaid-i-Azam University Prof. Dr. Tasawar Hayat, Dean Faculty Natural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Idrees, Dr. Salama Malik, Director External Linkages, senior faculty members from the Department of Computer Sciences and IIT, QAU attended the Signing Ceremony.

While addressing the signing ceremony, Vice Chancellor said, “This partnership marks an important step in strengthening industry-academia collaboration at Quaid-i-Azam University. Through the University Partnership Initiative: Final Year Project Development Program, our students will have the opportunity to work on real-world software products with commercial potential, enabling them to gain practical experience and develop innovative solutions”

Under the agreement, Quaid-i-Azam University will facilitate the participation of eligible students in approved Final Year Projects and product development initiatives. The initial group will comprise three to five students, who will work on projects over a period of six to nine months under the supervision of academic and industry mentors. The collaboration aims to provide students with hands-on experience in developing commercially viable software products.