HEC finalizes agenda for promotion of higher education
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—To promote quality of higher education sector in Pakistan, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken some major decisions in its 9th meeting held here at Islamabad.
Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Advisor to Prime Minister for Science & Technology and Chairman HEC presided over the meeting. The Commission approved Comprehensive uniform criteria for affiliation of public/private colleges with the Public Sector Universities and degree awarding institutions of Pakistan. These criteria were developed after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders by the Quality Assurance Committee constituted by the HEC. The Commission also approved the criteria of approval of journals to be recognized by the HEC and constituted a Sub-Committee for preparing a list of HEC approved journals according to the Criteria approved by the Commission. The sub-committee will submit its recommendations very shortly.
The Commission appreciated the report of the Sub-Committee constituted by the Chairman HEC to review and evaluate the existing M.Phil and PhD Programs of the universities and directed the HEC to obtain clear timeframe from the universities /degree awarding Institutes by which they will improve and come upto the standard prescribed by the HEC in terms of faculty, infrastructure/laboratories, qualification, admission procedures, course conduct and examination. The Commission directed that release of funds to the noncompliant public sector universities and degree awarding institutions should be curtailed.
The Commission also directed the HEC to initiate a program for approval of departments of universities/institutes where PhD studies could be offered according to the set criteria to bring our PhD studies at par with world class degrees.
The commission members who attended the meeting include Dr. M. Akram Sheikh, Dy Chairman Planning Commission, Mr. Shehr Yar Khan, Acting Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Lt. Gen (r) Muhammad Akram khan, Vice-Chancellor UET, Lahore, Prof. Dr. Qasim Jan, Vice-Chancellor, QAU, Islamabad, Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector Lahore School of Economic, Lahore, Mr. Nazir Saeed, Special Secretary, Higher Education, Govt. of the Punjab, Dr. Anwar Nasim, Adviser Science, COSTECH, Islamabad, Prof. Abdul Matin, Ex-VC, Peshawar University, Prof Dr. Saadia Chishti, Ex-member, Council of Islamic Ideology, Pakistan, Mrs. Nadira Panjwani, Chairperson, Panjwani Foundation and Trusts, Karachi, Mr. Shahzad Alam, Chief Executive of Unitech Electronic (Pvt) Ltd. Lahore and Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC.