By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Renowned educationist Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nizamuddin, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, has said that promotion of national, regional and local languages is essential for academic and cultural development.
He said quality education and research in one’s own language not only enhances students’ intellectual and analytical abilities but also plays an important role in preserving, developing and transmitting national languages to future generations.
He was presiding over the National TransVision Summit 2026, organized at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on the occasion of World Translation Day.
Addressing the event, AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood said the Open University was taking practical measures to promote national, regional and local languages and these efforts would be further expanded.
He said the university had established the Centre for Language and Translation Studies at its main campus, which was conducting academic and research activities to promote Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics.
He said a PhD in Applied Linguistics programme had also been launched under the Centre, while seminars and conferences were being organized to promote translations in different languages and advance Translation Studies.
The Vice Chancellor said Gramora had been introduced for promotion of Urdu language.
He added the university was also considering establishment of computational infrastructure and a publishing office to bring linguistic research and translation in line with modern requirements.
The speakers at the summit said in view of the rapidly growing influence of artificial intelligence and digital technology, Pakistan needed a comprehensive national language policy for preservation and promotion of translation, linguistics, and national and regional languages.
Emphasizing the need to advance Translation Studies as a systematic academic and research movement, the speakers said all relevant universities, institutions, experts and researchers would have to work together to promote translation and linguistic research in Pakistan.
They said AIOU, owing to its extensive educational network, academic and research capabilities, and nationwide outreach, could play an important role in promoting Translation Studies at the national level.
The National TransVision Summit was organized by AIOU’s Centre for Language and Translation Studies in collaboration with the University of Gujrat and other universities and institutions. The summit aimed to promote a national dialogue on the interrelationship among Translation Studies, Applied Linguistics, language technology, terminology development, linguistic resources and language policy.
Prof. Dr. Syeda Faleeha Zahra Kazmi, Prof. Dr. M. Saleem Mazhar, Dr. Alia Sohail Khan, Prof. Dr. Najeeba Arif, Prof. Dr. Saadat Hasan Saeed, Muhammad Hameed Shahid and Dr. Ghulam Ali, along with other linguists, translators, teachers, researchers and intellectuals, participated in the summit.
They highlighted the need to preserve and promote national and regional languages and to align translation and linguistic research with contemporary academic and technological requirements.
