ACT AI: How to apply for free eight-week AI course in 100 Pakistani institutions

ISLAMABAD: A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed at the Prime Minister’s Office under the chairmanship of Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, to launch the ACT AI Initiative — Awareness, Competency & Tools Training for Artificial Intelligence.

With the MoU now formalized, the programme has entered its operational phase. University focal persons have been activated nationwide, and student registration is currently underway through the official portal actai.aiskillbridge.pk.

According to a press release, a national launch event is planned to formally mark the commencement of the initiative, and the first cohort is expected to begin training in the coming weeks, with subsequent cohorts running in two-month cycles to ensure sustained nationwide impact.

The programme will be offered completely free of cost, with a strong focus on inclusion, including a targeted 50:50 gender participation ratio and enrollment from diverse academic backgrounds beyond computer science.

The MoU brings together the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), the Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC), and AI SkillBridge, a subsidiary of AXI Technologies—reflecting a unified public-private partnership to expand AI education across the country.

The agreement establishes ACT AI as Pakistan’s first nationally coordinated, university-level AI skills programme, aimed at equipping youth with the competencies required for the global digital economy.

Under this initiative, up to 6,000 students per cohort will be trained across approximately 100 universities nationwide, including institutions from all four provinces as well as Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The programme will be executed by AI SkillBridge, supported by AXI Technologies, which will oversee end-to-end implementation including curriculum design, training delivery, digital infrastructure, student management, and national outreach.

ACT AI is an intensive eight-week, competency-based programme designed to deliver practical, job-ready skills in generative AI, agentic AI systems, AI productivity tools, automation, and sector-specific applications.

The training will be delivered through synchronized live sessions broadcast from Islamabad via the HEC Smart Classroom network, ensuring standardized, high-quality instruction at a national scale.

Structured around the core pillars of Foundations of AI, AI Applications Across Sectors, AI for Economic Empowerment, and Future of AI and National Preparedness, the programme aims to prepare students for AI-enabled employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship, and participation in the global digital economy.

Under the partnership framework, NAVTTC will serve as the national endorsement body, ensuring alignment with federal skills development priorities, while HEC will provide institutional access through its nationwide university network and Smart Classroom infrastructure. AI SkillBridge, supported by AXI Technologies, will lead programme execution and delivery.