The AAOU Meritorious Service Award (MSA) in 2018 was presented to Dr. Naveed Malik at the 32nd AAOU Annual Conference. The result was based on the recommendation by the 2018 MSA Adjudication Committee (Prof. Tian Belawati of Universitas Terbuka, Prof. Asha Kanwar of the Commonwealth of Learning, Dr. Yoichi Okabe of the Open University of Japan, Prof. Gajaraj Dhanarajan of Wawasan Open University, and Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso of the University of the Philippines Open University) and approval by the AAOU Executive Committee. Congratulations to Dr. Malik!

Dr. Malik spearheaded the effort of setting up the Virtual University of Pakistan, which would go on to utilize Information Technology as a force multiplier to deliver quality, affordable education across the length and breadth of the country. Since then, VUP has become a well-recognized and respected institution known for the quality of its programs and for its innovative approaches to technology assisted education. He is also a strong proponent of openness in education and strongly believes that all educational content produced using public funds should be made freely available to the public.

The AAOU may award the MSA to an individual every year for his/her outstanding service and contributions to open and distance education (ODE). If you intend to submit a nomination, you can view the details here and send your nomination by email to aaou@upou.edu.ph.