Habib University launches IDEAL

Habib University launches its Institute of Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership (IDEAL), an initiative aimed at promoting agile problem-solving, entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborative leadership as per a press release. The inauguration ceremony was held at the university’s campus.

IDEAL builds on the university’s commitment to innovation, adding to its history of academic spaces like The Playground: Centre for Transdisciplinarity, Design, and Innovation, and The Horizon, a classroom that promotes collaboration and critical thinking.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, President Professor Wasif Rizvi said: “How do we continuously inspire and cultivate engagement and community building around learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration among our students, faculty, and the industry? IDEAL is the next step in creating this new reality in higher education that is eager and willing to continue to reinvent itself.”

The launch also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, marking strategic partnerships with industry leaders. These collaborations will integrate real-world challenges into academic experience, equipping the students with the skills they need to succeed in an unpredictable future.

Efficiency in cross-border payments

Bank Alfalah has announced a collaboration with Swift to introduce Payment Pre-validation, a solution designed to enhance the speed, accuracy, and security of cross-border payments in Pakistan as per a press release. This collaboration will see Bank Alfalah, through 1LINK, enable any Swift-connected institution anywhere in the world to carry out upfront checks of beneficiary data for any of the 200 million plus bank accounts in Pakistan.

Swift’s Payment Pre-validation service reduces risk by validating key payment details before funds are transferred. By allowing banks and businesses to verify account details, including IBAN, account name, and currency codes before processing payments. The service significantly reduces errors, delays, and fraud risks in international transactions, while enhancing peace of mind for the payer.

This service strengthens payment security by validating user information such as IBANs, account numbers, beneficiary names, and payment purposes, preventing unauthorised transactions and reducing financial risks for both businesses and individuals.

Digitising traffic fine system

Zindigi, powered by JS Bank, has formalised a strategic agreement with the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Police to modernise the region’s traffic fine issuance system through advanced digital solutions, as per a press release. This collaboration marks a transformative shift from traditional paper-based systems to a modern, fully digital framework, redefining traffic management.

Zindigi will equip AJK Police with handheld smart devices integrated with Bluetooth-enabled printers, allowing officers to issue traffic fines digitally and in real-time. Furthermore, citizens will have the ability to pay their fines instantly via a range of modern payment methods, including mobile wallets, ATM/debit cards, credit cards, and QR codes, making the process more convenient, secure, and accessible.

Speaking on the occasion, Noman Azhar, Founder & Chief Officer of Zindigi, emphasised the role of the private sector in driving digitisation, stating: “The digitisation of public services is a shared responsibility, and the private sector must play a positive and proactive role in driving this change. At Zindigi, we are committed to creating a meaningful impact by supporting the ecosystem with sustainable solutions — without placing any financial burden on the government. We lead such initiatives by fully absorbing the cost, as part of our dedication to building a more efficient and digitally empowered Pakistan.” n

ABHI launches earned wage access

ABHI, an embedded finance platform, has partnered with National Foods Limited (NFL), a multi-category food giant and a global food exporter with a presence in 40 countries, to introduce earned wage access (EWA) for its workforce, as per a press release. This collaboration underscores both companies’ commitment to employee well-being, ensuring greater financial control and stability for NFL employees.

Through ABHI’s EWA solution, NFL employees can access a portion of their earned salary in real-time via the ABHI mobile app or SMS, within 30 seconds, anytime, anywhere. This initiative eliminates the stress of waiting for payday, reducing reliance on high-interest loans and fostering greater financial security.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, April 14th, 2025