ISLAMABAD: Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain visited Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat here. Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed briefed Minister on Commission’s performance during last 20 years, different challenges faced by country’s higher education sector as well as steps being taken to improve quality of higher education.

Briefing included an overview of HEC’s performance since its establishment in 2002, especially in areas of academia-industry linkages, improving quality of education and research, enhancing access to higher education, encouraging diverse population to pursue higher studies, increasing female enrolment in higher learning institutions across all disciplines as well as financial challenges that have hampered proper growth of higher education sector as per international standards.

Minister acknowledged fiscal pressure that HEC is facing and appreciated its performance despite all kinds of challenges. “We are here to support you.  He however emphasised introducing more stringent steps to ensure quality at all levels of higher education. He said that institutions of higher learning should be regularly monitored and any institution that violates quality parameters should be strictly advised to fulfill all basic requirements.

He said that future funding must be linked to performance of universities and universities should be advised to enhance quality of their teaching and research.

Chairman informed Minister, “Since its inception, HEC has not only helped increase number of higher education institutions to 249 but has also put in serious effort to ensure quality of education being imparted and increase volume and quality of research in Pakistan.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed elaborated scholarships projects HEC has been offering to make education accessible for students, particularly those from far-flung and less privileged areas.

“Over 40 percent of government’s total investment in higher education sector has been on human resource development and we have maintained most transparent and cautious approach for selection of students. “

“We have taken number of steps to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among faculty and students and big funding is being provided to Pakistani startups so that our economy can prosper and we ensure to contain shinning talent within country.”

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 15 2022

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