Allama Iqbal Open University also recognized as AIOU is one the largest university in the world with students 1, 121, 000 which are enrolled in 2010. This is the first open university of Asia. AIOU is the exclusive university of Pakistan due to its system, approach and overall structures. The main campus of this university is located in Islamabad. This is a distance education university with a large network expanded all over Pakistan and abroad providing education in Pakistan as well as in Middle East. AIOU provide degree from basic to bachelors, masters and also doctorate status.
Allama Iqbal Open University foundation was laid in May 1974 under act no. thirty nine by the Parliament of Pak. This university was name People’s Open University in its starting years but was renamed to Allama Iqbal Open University on 1977 after the one hundred year of the great poet philosopher and the politician ‘ALLAMA IQBAL’. The word Open University came into being in the education policy 1972-80 which stated that there are many Open Universities in the world to provide education to those students who cannot leave their homes and jobs. It also stated that Pakistan should also have such university which will provide high level and high quality education to the aspiring students in a proper way and for almost thirty four years this university is successful in fulfilling the promise.
This university opened the great educational opportunities for the people in this modern era. This also made the female candidates life easier has it give opportunities at their door steps. This university had proved itself in mass education and trying to build up records in information technology, science and in other professional field. It is trying the level best to reach the remote area of Pakistan to provide knowledge. The concept of Open University was given by the British Prime Minister in 1960s that the education should be provided to those people who had missed quality education and due to early age employment thus UK Open University was founded in 1969; after that AIOU was the founded in 1974 and is 2nd open university in the world and 1st in Asia.
