NICS starts cultural studies courses

The National Institute of Cultural Studies (NICS) has been opened at the premises of Lok Virsa with the starting of one-year diploma courses in the field of culture. The institution would be inaugurated soon, while the management has already started the courses of TV Production, Interior Design and Ceramics in an orientation-day ceremony in collaboration with Lok Virsa and Cosmos Productions.
The degree for those courses had been approved by Navtec, while the institute would provide rounded educational programmes with a commitment of the possible quality in all its activities, said an official of NICS while talking to newsmen. The NICS aims at opening the annals of analytical and critical thinking and its programmes are based on quality education, research and freedom of thought, expression and argument.
Addressing the orientation-day ceremony, Lok Virsa Chief Executive Uxi Mufti assured his full support to the institution and termed its students as pioneers of starting some thing new and innovative.
"Pakistan believes in the importance of rich cultural heritage and its future belongs to the culture, humanities, arts and skills to create values for the society," he observed. Welcoming the first batch of students, he said: "Culture in Pakistan is being harnessed towards education." NICS President and Cosmos Chairman Rauf Khalid on the occasion said: "Arts and crafts are the fields of human fantasies, which have no boundaries."
Earlier, NICS Vice Chancellor Farukh Javed presented sovereigners to the students which were locally prepared by the institution. The TV Production course would introduce new technologies to the students for creating opportunities in art directions, graphics and filmmaking.
The interior design training would focus traditional and modern decorative aspects, latest trends, aesthetics, contemporary environment and furniture designing business, while the course of pottery would educate the youngsters about the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan through creating income generating sources. The new projects of NICS included construction of academic blocks, open-air theatre and establishment of a channel featuring cultural activities.