“China's smart classroom has improved our learning efficiency and enriched our learning methods and contents amid the pandemic,” noted Pakistani student Khan, expressing gratitude to the state-of-the-art facility. 

With academic backing from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China, Pakistan’s Lahore University of Engineering and Technology (UET Lahore) successfully deployed the country’s first smart classroom, namely, Weidong Smart Classroom last July. Fully sponsored by China’s Weidong Cloud Education Group, it is also a flagship project of International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI). 

Pakistani Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood had ordered closure of all educational institutions across the country from November 26 till January 10 next year and directed for holding online classes until December 24 following a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

Ever since the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan, 15,000 students from UET Lahore had conducted distance learning activities at home via the platform. As the second wave of coronavirus grips Pakistan, the smart classroom became an important aid to local teachers and students when it comes to distance learning.