HEC to establish new engineering universities
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Taking into consideration the critical importance of the engineering sector in the development of industries in Pakistan, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to not only strengthen its existing engineering universities but also to establish new world-class engineering universities in Pakistan on the pattern of Indian Institute of Technology in partnership with technologically advanced countries.
Extensive meetings and discussions have been held by Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Science and Technology and Chairman Higher Education Commission with Ministers and senior scientists of Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Korea and Netherlands. Teams from many of the collaborative countries such as Sweden, France, Austria, Korea and Netherlands have already visited Pakistan and held discussions with Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman. The German team is expected to visit Pakistan in January 2006. It is expected that this major program to uplift engineering sector will commence from 2006.
Prof. Haroon Ahmed, Master, Corpus Christ College, Cambridge University has been appointed as Adviser by the Higher Education Commission in respect of this project and he will be closely involved in the development of all the 5 new engineering universities.
Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman recently visited Sweden and held meetings with H.E. Dr. Leif Pagrotsky, Minister for Education, Research and Culture, Sweden in connection with establishment of the Pakistan-Swedish University of Engineering & Technology in Sialkot to assist the development of highly trained technical manpower required by the industry in that area. Similar discussions have been held with Ministers and senior officials of Germany, France, Korea, Austria and Netherlands.
Particular emphasis is being placed on quality assurance and complete equivalence of the degrees awarded by these universities by the foreign collaborative countries. In the first phase of the project (lasting during first 10 - 15 years), it is expected that the deans and key professors will be invited from foreign countries to run the programs till such time that about 300 Ph.D. level faculty members have been trained in the respective collaborative countries. Each project is expected to cost an average of US $ 250 million over a 10 year period.