Pakistan Wins 3G Excellence in Higher Education Award 2016 the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Higher Education Institutions
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Higher Education Commission - Pakistan May-June 2016 Pakistan Wins 3G 3G Excellence in Higher Education Award 2016 HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, PAKISTAN Excellence in Higher Education Award 2016 HEC initiatives and services for development of higher education sector in Pakistan have been recognised internationally. P-11 VCs Meeting held at Lahore Universities to Make More Concerted Efforts for Enhancing Quality P-2 Table of Contents VCs Meeting Calls for Enhancing 7 Chairman HEC Visits Hungary 2 Quality of Higher Education, Research Pakistan Wins 3G Excellence in Higher 11 Education Award 2016 11 NACTE holds Capacity Building Workshop HEC, Microsoft Organise National Final for University Students 12 Prove Mettle in Imagine Cup 2016 5 Oratory HEC Committed to Developing Higher 13 Education Sector of Balochistan HEC, SECP to Promote Investor Education 13 among Youth Avenues of Further Collaboration with 9 Varsities Win Grant under Pakistan- 9 France Explored 14 France PERIDOT Programme 15 Cooperation with Maldives Discussed News & Views is published after every two 15 Gambia’s Minister Visits HEC months. No part of this publication may 27th Faculty Development Programme be reproduced in any form without prior 16 written permission of the publisher. Concludes The views expressed by authors in the HEC Signs MoU with Law & Justice 17 articles is their sole responsibility and Commission not of HEC. The Commission would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed information and photographs for this Magazine. Editor Aayesha Ikram Graphic Designer Raja Ahmad Nadeem Publisher: Reporter Higher Education Commission, Waseem Khaliqdad Pakistan VCs Meeting Calls for Enhancing Quality of Higher Education, Research The three-day Vice Chancellors’ Committee (TTS) for faculty appointment wherein Dr. G. Raza Meeting recently held at Lahore developed a Bhatti, Member (Operations and Planning) HEC consensus that the Higher Education Commission described the purpose of introducing the system (HEC) and universities across the country will make and the discrepancies arising due to deviation from more concerted efforts to ensure quality whether it set criteria for appointment. is faculty appointment, student admissions, opening of new institutions and sub-campuses, Issues related to TTS discussed on the occasion curriculum development, offering new degree included non-approval of statutes from respective courses, granting affiliations, teaching and research governing bodies, submission of relevant record to or any other matter related to higher education. HEC, appointments without advertisement, lack of Technical Review Panel reports from two foreign Concluding the session, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, experts, lack of Departmental Tenure Review Chairman HEC appreciated all the Vice Chancellors Committee reports, non-observance of Annual, for their active participation and discussing in detail Mid-Term and Final Reviews, assumption of various challenges being faced by higher education administrative posts by TTS faculty, award of sector and deliberating possible solutions. He increments at the time of initial appointment stressed the fact that implementation of quality against approved criteria, and deviation from criteria and other higher education policies in letter prescribed probationary contract period. and spirit was inevitable for development of university education that is compatible with Mr. Tahir Abbas Zaidi, Director General, international standards. Accreditation and Attestation, HEC gave a comprehensive briefing on accreditation procedure Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, former Adviser to Prime of opening of new universities, sub-campuses as Minister and currently President of SZABIST said well as criteria for affiliating colleges. He showed that higher education leadership has to come from concern over violation of HEC criteria for opening HEC and ensure implementation of quality DAI/ sub campuses, grant of affiliations exceeding standards in line with global trends. She urged the jurisdictional limits defined in respective university heads and HEC to adopt a cohesive Acts/Charters, offering programmes in affiliated approach for policymaking and its implementation. colleges which are not available on the Principal A detailed session was held on Tenure Track System Seat, vetting of Charters as per Cabinet Criteria, 2 increased enrolment of students without required Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) also facilities, acute shortage of faculty, foreign gave brief talks during the meeting. Mr. Shaharyar collaborations with non-chartered institutions. He highlighted the importance of promoting cricket in also emphasised the importance of accreditation of universities and how it could benefit the degree programmes from relevant professional development of the game in Pakistan. He said PCB is councils, including Pakistan Nursing Council, ready to work with HEC and universities for further Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, Pakistan development of inter-university cricket and offered Veterinary Medical Council, Pakistan Pharmacy to form a committee for this purpose. Council, Pakistan Engineering Council, Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, National Dr. Lehri underlined how the medical education has Computing Education Accreditation Council, suffered due to lack of proper policies as well as National Technology Council, Pakistan Bar Council, implementation of the existing ones. He requested National Agriculture Accreditation Council, the vice chancellors of medical universities to come Accreditation Council for Teacher’s Education, up with suggestions and enhance coordination with Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of PMDC for improving the overall quality of medical Pakistan, and National Business Education education in the country. Accreditation Council. On the occasion, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC Another session focused on Role of Media and said that the Commission will soon hold a meeting Universities in Promoting Societal Development, of PMDC and medical universities/colleges for Discourse and Peace in Society. Among others the identifying different issues pertaining to medical session was attended by Mr. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman education and setting a roadmap for the future. Shami, Mr. Amjad Islam Amjad, Mr. Sajjad Mir, Mr. Yasir Peerzada, Mr. Habib Akram and Mr. Ajmal Jami. The Vice Chancellors were also briefed about HEC The participants agreed that both media and Safe Campus Solution for universities which is universities play a key role in shaping any society, aimed to address the challenges being faced by particularly character building of citizens especially universities. The project included blanket Wifi youth. It was emphasized that interaction among coverage for 30 universities each year along with universities and media should be enhanced to security cameras for surveillance of campuses. The promote good research. University heads also gave various suggestions for improving security of higher education institutions Mr. Shaharyar Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket keeping in view that educational institutions are a Board (PCB) and Dr. Shabbir Ahmed Lehri, President, very soft target for anti-state elements. They agreed 3 to work in close coordination with HEC for devising a institutions, and asked the vice chancellors to security strategy for their respective campuses. thoroughly review the situation and come up with solutions that envisage not only protection of Earlier in the opening ceremony, Dr. Mukhtar students and staff but make sure that open display Ahmed, Chairman Higher Education Commission of weapons should not create a fearful environment (HEC) made an impassioned call to ensure quality all on campuses. levels of higher education in the country. He reviewed year’s performance, challenges and issues He also shed light on various ongoing and to set target for the next year and urged the upcoming projects of higher education sector gathering of over 120 heads of public and private including establishment of technical universities, universities that quality of higher education should thousands of scholarships under US-Pakistan top their agenda while planning for further Knowledge Corridor in addition to existing expansion and development. scholarship schemes, establishment of Centres of Excellence in Water, Energy, Food Security and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed particularly advised the private Climate Change, creation of technology parks as sector institutions that undoubtedly education has well as many national and international partnerships become a business worldwide but that should not for developing human resource in all fields of be done at the cost of quality. national importance. He also spoke at length about Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. mushrooming of sub-campuses Rasul Jan, Chairperson of the VCs as well as launching of MPhil and Committee welcomed the guests P h D p ro g r a m m e s w i t h o u t and thanked them for joining the fulfilment of minimum criteria. “If forum to deliberate the current any institution violates criteria and upcoming challenges of and goes ahead just for the sake higher education sector. of competition or increase resources, it will definitely be held H e a p p r e c i a t e d H E C f o r accountable. Remember there are conducting such sessions on a no shortcuts if we want our regular basis for input of institutions to develop at university heads regarding international standards. Proper planning for different polices of the higher education sector said,