HIGHER EDUCATION IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH A well-established higher education program is essential for the creation of a knowledge-based economy. Punjab aims to move its economy to high productivity, for which a vibrant higher education sector is critical. To create a knowledge-based economy, an entire infrastructure of facilities is required which provides the “software” for economic growth by creating a highly-skilled pool of workers and an enabling environment for firms. VISION Enlightened and prospering Punjab reinforcing knowledge economy and equitable, quality learning at tertiary level. POLICY • Increasing equitable access to Higher Education. • Establishment of New Colleges. • Rehabilitation and development of college infrastructure. • Improving quality of education. • Revamping college education by developing strong relationship between tertiary education and the job market. • Recruitment of college teachers through PPSC. • Up gradation of existing educational institutions. • Strengthening of autonomous institutions/ Universities. • Improvement and up gradation of commerce colleges. STRATEGY • Improving college infrastructure through provision of missing and additional facilities to public sector colleges. • Promotion of Science and Computer education at tertiary level. • Capacity building of Managers / field officers of colleges sector. • Use of Management Information System (MIS) for decision making. • Development of monitoring and evaluation system. 17 STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS 4 YEARS BS PROGRAM Higher Education Department also decided to introduce 4-Years BS program in the public sector college throughout the province. For the purpose 26 colleges have been identified from the all Divisions of the Punjab and initially in these colleges this program have been launched and in the coming years it will be spread over the whole colleges of the province. The program has also been launched by the universities as well as autonomous bodies, but now it will be provided in the public sector colleges to take them at par with other educational institutions. This programme is being extended to further colleges of province for which data is being collected. PROVISION OF MISSING FACILITIES TO COLLEGES Punjab Government has embarked upon a comprehensive plan to enhance the quality of college education with special focus on improvement of physical infrastructure of college. An allocation for provision of missing facilities to the colleges is included in the ADP to continue the facility for provision of additional class room, toilet block, hostels, bus sheds, academic blocks, residences, boundary walls, science and computer labs and other allied facilities. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUB CAMPUSES Different sub campuses are being established in different cities of the province to provide the facility of Higher Education and research to the population of the province. A sub campus of BZU has already been established at Layyah and a sub campus of Punjab University has been established at Jhelum. Funds for the sub campuses for Lahore College for Women University and GCU, Lahore at Kala Shah Kaku have also been provided. During the financial year 2014-15 further funds will be provided to the sub campuses of the universities on need basis. ESTABLISHMENT OF KNOWLEDGE CITY AT DERA RAKH CHAAL, LAHORE A piece of land measuring 705 acres is available at Lahore near ring road and a mega project for establishment of sub campuses / basic information units will be established of renowned universities of Pakistan as well as abroad. For the purpose the said piece of land will be developed and handed over to the interested parties for establishment of their institutes. Feasibility study will be done in 1st phase and accordingly the project will be completed in phased manner. 18 ESTABLISHMENT OF HOME ECONOMICS COLLEGES AT DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS Three home economics colleges are functioning at Divisional Headquarters of Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala. The facility of Home Economics College for other 3 Divisional Headquarters (Faisalabad, Bahawalpur & D.G. Khan) is required to be provided in the coming fiscal years. For this purpose an allocation has been included in the ADP for the financial year 2014-15 for the construction of buildings of these professional educational institutions. ESTABLISHMENT OF KHAWAJA FARID UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (UEIT) R.Y. KHAN Chief Minister Punjab has been pleased to approve establishment of a new Engineering and IT University at Rahim Yar Khan. Piece of land has been identified and classes of the university will be commenced from September, 2014 in the premises of Govt. College of Technology and Khawaja Farid Postgraduate College, Rahim Yar Khan. University of Engineering and Technology Lahore will supervise the whole activity of the new university. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITY OF SAHIWAL Chief Minister Punjab has been pleased to approve establishment of a new University at Divisional Headquarter Sahiwal. For the purpose Government College Sahiwal will be upgraded to the level of university and the sub campus of BZU situated in Sahiwal will also be merged in the new university. This proposal will be submitted for approval of Chief Minister shortly. Classes of the new universities will be commenced in September, 2014 subject to approval of Act of the university from the Provincial Assembly. E-YOUTH INITIATIVE Chief Minister Punjab was launched an initiative for provision of Laptop Computers to the students on free of cost and merit basis in 2011-12. Higher Education Department distributed 210,000 laptop computers in the province purely on merit basis in the previous years. 100,000 laptop computers will be provided in the financial year 2013-14 and the same quantity will also be distributed in the financial year 2014-15. For the purpose Rs.3.5 Billion have been proposed for the financial year 2014-15 for the purchase of 100,000 laptop computers. 19 LAHORE KNOWLEDGE PARK Establishment of Lahore Knowledge Park aims to develop & create linkage and synergy between academia and the corporate world in areas that feed into the global knowledge industry. In order to achieve this objective, the Government of Punjab has provided an area of 853 acres of land in the most upmarket location of the city of Lahore. The basic concept is envisaged to be achieved through creating clusters of related academic & industry sectors especially in the ICT Business & Management Sciences and in Science & Technology. Primary partnerships with key stakeholders namely the British Council (UK Government), Department for International Development (DfID), the International Unit-Education Group of the UK Ti (British Government), The Universities of Scotland (The Scottish Government), the SQA Scotland, the Australia Trade Commission, the Lahore University of Management Sciences – Center for Social Enterprise Development, and numerous UK & International Universities’ amongst others have been established. Furthermore the Lahore Knowledge Park Company has also been approved by Chief Minister in order to proceed with the execution of the project. PUNJAB EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) is an initiative of the Government of Punjab established in 2009 with the objective of providing scholarships / monetary assistance to talented and needy students for pursuing quality education with equal opportunities. The PEEF was established with initial seed money of Rs. 2 billion and Government has allocated Rs. 11 billion till 2013-14. The PEEF has awarded more than 43000 scholarships to the talented and deserving students of Punjab and other provinces. This year’s target is award of 17000 scholarships worth Rs. 1 billion; thus making the total number of scholarships to 60000 and the total disbursements to Rs. 3 billion by the end of financial year 2013- 14.The PEEF is spreading knowledge by enabling students otherwise unable to afford college education on their own. ACHIEVEMENTS OF FINANCIAL YEAR 2013-14 • Establishment of 18 new Colleges in Punjab. • Provision of missing facilities to 22 colleges of the Punjab. • Completion of 01 scheme for supporting different public sector universities of the Punjab. • Completion of 07 projects of Commerce Colleges. • Establishment of I.T University Punjab, Lahore. 20 • Provision of 100,000 Laptops to students free of cost purely on merit. NEW INITIATIVES OF 2014-15 • Provision of 100,000 Laptops to students free of cost purely on merit. • Establishment of 63 new Colleges. • Up-Gradation of 5 New Colleges. • Establishment of Home Economics Colleges at 3 Divisional Headquarters Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, D.G.Khan. • Establishment of Khawaja Farid University of Engineering and Information Technology (UEIT) R.Y. Khan. • Establishment of University of Sahiwal. TARGETS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2014-15 • Provision of 100,000 Laptops to students free of cost purely on merit. • Establishment of 138 new colleges in the Punjab. • Provision of Missing facilities to 87 colleges in the Punjab. • Up-gradation of 10 Colleges. • Projects of 07 Commerce Colleges. • Establishment of Computer Labs in 31 Colleges. • Establishment of 8 New Universities in Punjab. TREND OF ALLOCATIONS Rs. in Million Sr. No. Year Allocation 1. 2010-11 6,350 2. 2011-12 6,500 3. 2012-13 6,650 4. 2013-14 6,670 5. 2014-15 11,550 OTHER DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 2014-15 • Rs. 2,000 million allocated for Punjab Education Endowment Fund • Rs. 500 million allocated for Knowledge Park and Punjab Technology University