Established in 1974, The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is a university based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The main objective of the university is to provide education to those who cannot leave their homes or jobs to attend a traditional, private university.
More than 70 per cent of students enrolled are working and there is no age limit for enrolment in university programmes.
The AIOU, when established, was the second Open University in the world and the first in Asia. Since then, it has opened up educational opportunities especially for women, who make up the majority of those enrolled. It’s also a lot cheaper for students to attend than a traditional higher education institution.
The university has 44 regional campuses and centres throughout Pakistan, and it has the most applicants per year of any university in the country.
The AIOU offers a wide range of programmes at both undergraduate and graduate level, including: Arabic and Islamic studies, education, sciences and social sciences and humanities.
The Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has libraries in its 49 regional campuses across Pakistan, however the Central Library is the focal point of these libraries. The Central Library has state-of-the-art systems and has over 137,000 books on a variety of subjects. There are also study and research rooms, with over 80 internet-connected computers, numerous study cubicles and a number of reading areas.
