Allama Iqbal Open University


The Allama Iqbal Open University is a public university in Islamabad, Pakistan. The university is the world's fourth largest institution of higher learning, with an annual enrollment of 1,121,038 students, the majority are women and course enrollment of 3,305,948. The university has 44 regional campuses and centers throughout Pakistan including in Faisalabad Millat Road, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
Allama Iqbal Open University is an attractive option for people who cannot afford highly expensive education in Pakistan's private universities. Online learning is mostly offered free or at a minimal cost to the consumer.

Objectives and mission

Established in 1974, it is Asia's first open university with a strong emphasis on providing distance education in philosophy, natural science and social sciences. It has the most applicants per year of any university in Pakistan.
AIOU offers extensive undergraduate and post-graduate programs in academic disciplines. After witnessing the success of the Open University in the United Kingdom, AIOU was established as a public university in 1974.
AIOU is noted for its cost-effective policy to provide higher and lifelong education to people learning from their homes and places of work at a minimum cost through a specialized fund managed by the government.
AIOU is open to everyone and provides education to all without any discrimination.

Administration and governance

Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies

Established in 1974, the faculty was upgraded as the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1998, with the following departments:
Established in 1984, the Faculty of Education's origin predates the university. A National Institute of Education was established in 1973 as a part of the Federal Ministry of Education, to improve education at school levels through in-service training of Master Trainers. This institute became a part of the university in June 1975.
The Faculty of Education has the following departments:
Renamed as Faculty of Sciences, the Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences was established in 1982. It comprises the following nine departments:
`The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities was established in 1982. The 16 departments of the faculty are:
On the university's 25th anniversary, Pakistan Post issued a commemorative postage stamp for it on 20 November 1999.