pkSIG Marks Ten Years of Teaching Internet Governance

The 10th edition of the Pakistan School on Internet Governance (pkSIG), the first “national” school on internet governance in Asia-Pacific, if not the entire world, was established in 2015. The Asia-Pacific School on Internet Governance (APSIG) and other regional schools largely influenced the environment before pkSIG. Other nations were motivated to start their own national schools by the example established by pkSIG; for example, India’s inSIG started a year later in 2016.

When 3G was introduced in Pakistan, it caused a “internet boom,” which planted the seeds for pkSIG. Some visionaries realised during this pivotal time how important it was to increase Pakistanis’ involvement in the multi-stakeholder global paradigm of Internet governance.

In order to raise awareness of the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance—in which anyone can participate from anywhere in the world—and to cultivate the next generation of Internet leaders in Pakistan who can participate in global Internet governance, it was decided to establish the Pakistan School on Internet Governance (pkSIG). The Higher Education Commission organised the inaugural 4-day pkSIG, which was headed by renowned educationist Dr. Arshad Ali.

Internet governance ecosystem, I* organisations, cyber security, cyber laws, trust and safety over the Internet, Internet standards and protocols, privacy and data protection, digital transformation, digital divide, digital inclusion (including web accessibility for people with disabilities), users’ rights, and other topics are all covered in a three- to four-day event called a School on Internet Governance. Role-plays and discussions on issues pertaining to Internet governance accompany this.

Up to fifty (50) persons with an interest in Internet governance from all affiliations and backgrounds can attend the free pkSIG classes in Pakistan. The majority of participants are college students and young professionals with an interest in influencing Pakistan’s Internet’s future who come from academia, government, technical groups, and the commercial sector. Fellowships including lodging and transportation are given to ten to twelve worthy students from the surrounding areas, most of whom come from outside the city where pkSIG is being conducted.

Participants are also informed about post-pkSIG learning options (such as fellowships and grants offered by different international organisations) at the conclusion of each pkSIG. Lastly, certificates of attendance are given to pkSIG attendees, but only to those who attended every session.

A group of volunteers (who established a “Steering Committee”) took on the responsibility of planning the succeeding pkSIGs after the initial one in 2015, beginning with the Virtual University Lahore in 2016.

pkSIG has been organised nationwide thus far in the following ways:

2015: Islamabad’s Higher Education Commission

Lahore’s Virtual University, 2016

Peshawar’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IT Board, 2017

2018: Karachi’s Regent Plaza

Quetta’s National Incubation Centre in 2019

2020: Because of the pandemic, online

Online in 2021 because of the epidemic

Pearl Continental in Muzaffarabad in 2022

Ramada, Gilgit, 2023

Ramada, Multan, 2024

Over 250 applications were submitted for the tenth and final pkSIG in 2024, which was held in Multan. Of these, 50 were chosen, including 11 fellows from the neighbouring areas. One of the four female fellows, who was visually handicapped, was an inspiration to everyone for her passionate involvement in the School.

The showcase session, where the owners of well-known digital businesses from Multan, like Scentyou.pk, epiccraftings.com, and giftmixservices.com, shared their inspirational stories, was another highlight of the event.

The School has trained about 350 students in its ten editions to date. The fact that women make up 26% of participants on average may seem low, but it is consistent with the fact that Pakistan has one of the largest gender digital inequalities in the world. It’s interesting to note that Quetta 2019 (38%) and Gilgit 2023 (33%), two rural cities, had the highest female participation rates.

In addition to providing a small but dynamic group of young people with essential knowledge and skills, pkSIG has inspired a generation of internet leaders who are now actively participating in regional and international public policy discussions regarding the future of the internet. This is evident when we reflect on the school’s influence over the past ten years.

The organisations that have assisted in organising pkSIGs on one or more occasions are also included in the list of Unseen Forces Behind Gratitude. PTA, MoIT, ICANN, ISOC Foundation, ISOC Islamabad Chapter, Cybernet, Jazz, eCommerce Gateways, MultiNet, NRS, Inspire Mill, PCL, Tik Tok, Meta, Google, Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), APASA, Virtual University, KPIT Board, AJK IT Board, Balochistan IT University, NIC Quetta, and local ISPs are a few of these.

Since all of the Steering Committee members have other full-time occupations, it would be unjust to omit their names. These individuals dedicate their time and energy on the weekends or after office hours. They include Dr. Muhammad Shabbir, Waqas Hassan, Ahmed Bakhat, Umaira Rana, Ameena Sohail, and Mohammad Adil Ali. Special recognition should also be given to Dr. Mukaram Khan and Fouad Bajwa.

The Pakistan School of Internet Governance hopes to keep providing Pakistan’s youth with a top-notch education, equipping them with the knowledge and viewpoints necessary to successfully negotiate and adjust to the rapidly changing global debates surrounding Internet governance. Notably, enthusiasm, drive, and commitment to the future of pkSIG are sustained throughout the next ten years.