HEC to establish sub-campus of Islamia University
By Uzma Babar

ISLAMABAD—A project submitted by Higher Education Commission (HEC) regarding establishment and development of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) sub-campus at Rahim Yar Khan has been approved by the CDWP of Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan.
The project aims at developing an academic sub campus of IUB at Rahim Yar Khan creating higher education facilities in the selected subject areas providing an easy access to higher education facilities at a relatively lower cost according to the regional necessities.
The major objective of the project includes development of higher education facilities in the academic disciplines offering greater employment prospects. Currently five academic department’s i.e. Management Sciences, Computer Science, Commerce, Education and Education Training are being offered at the campus to provide higher education facility to 573 students.
The other objectives of the project include not only promotion of equal study opportunities for rural areas facilitating the students coming from middle and lower middle classes but also to provide access to higher education at a relatively cheaper cost which is a part of HEC’s poverty alleviation efforts.
A recent survey indicates that 11947 students are studying at Bachelors level at the degree colleges functioning in District Rahim Yar Khan. The opening of a sub-campus at Rahim Yar Khan would facilitate the young graduates from low income families. About 30% of the students studying at the Islamic University of Bahawalpur are the residents of Rahim Yar Khan District. Their parents have to invest a great deal of money for the education of their children. Some of the youth from low income groups have not access to higher education, because of poverty and higher inputs costs, despite the fact that some of them are intelligent and hard working.
The establishment of a sub-campus will create adequate infrastructure to bring quantitative and qualitative improvement and increased access to higher education to this specific area for playing its positive role in socio-economics development of the country.