Editing Allama Iqbal Open University (section)

==Objectives and mission==
Established in May 1974 under Act No. XXXIX passed by the Parliament of Pakistan,<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIOU AT A GLANCE {{!}} Education For All |url=https://www.aiou.edu.pk/aiou-glance |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=www.aiou.edu.pk}}</ref> it is [[Asia]]'s first open university with a strong emphasis on providing [[distance education]] in [[philosophy]], [[natural science]] and [[social sciences]].<ref name=paknetmag/><ref name=Dawn/><ref name="Listing programs">{{cite web|title=Listing programs|url=http://www.aiou.edu.pk/ProgrammesList.asp?P=BACHELOR|publisher=Listing programs|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919160424/http://www.aiou.edu.pk/ProgrammesList.asp?P=BACHELOR|archive-date=19 September 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It has the most applicants per year of any university in Pakistan.

AIOU offers extensive [[undergraduate]] and [[post-graduate]] programs in academic disciplines.<ref name="Education programs at AIOU">{{cite web|title=Education programs at AIOU|url=http://www.aiou.edu.pk/EducationalProgrammes.asp|publisher=Education programs at AIOU|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924105139/http://www.aiou.edu.pk/EducationalProgrammes.asp|archive-date=24 September 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> After witnessing the success of the [[Open University]] in the [[United Kingdom]], AIOU was established as a public university in 1974.<ref name="Brief history">{{cite web|title=Brief history|url=http://www.aiou.edu.pk/BriefHistory.asp|access-date=3 May 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915143537/http://www.aiou.edu.pk/BriefHistory.asp|archive-date=15 September 2013}}</ref>

AIOU is noted for its cost-effective policy to provide higher and lifelong education to people learning from their homes and places of work at a minimum cost through a specialised fund managed by the government.<ref name=paknetmag/><ref name="Brief history" />

AIOU is open to everyone and provides education to all without any discrimination.<ref name=paknetmag>{{cite web|url=https://paknetmag.blogspot.com/search/label/Stamps%20of%20Pakistan%20Year%27s%201999|title=25 Years of Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad (scroll down to this section with University Profile)|website=paknetmag.com website|access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref>