HEC to develop computerised infrastructure in varsities
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is pursuing a University Computerization and NetworkingProgramme to provide public sector universities with funds for computering infrastructure, an HEC official said Monday.
With installation of local and wide area networking system, the project was furnishing universities with modern communications systems, supporting local intranet and Internet accessibility, hesaid.
The official said the digital library programme wouldeffectively help promote research activity besides empowering the universities with the requisite information technology resources. He said the increased research activity must be complemented by the provision of high quality services and infrastructure to revitalise universities into world-class seats of learning.
HEC has developed a criteria to evaluate performance ofuniversities on the basis of indicators such as degree of computer networking, deployment of student information system and number oflibrary journals.
The official said there was also a plan to establish centralresearch laboratories at the premier research universities acrossthe country. He said the laboratories would be centralized and haveessential equipment required by researchers in a variety ofdisciplines.
Universities would be asked to submit mega projects keepingin view their research requirements that would be reviewed at the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC), headded.
The official said dedicated and competent staff of engineerswho were imparted proper training would extend their support forutilization of respective instruments.
HEC was working with the planning division to ensure thatthe recurring and development needs of various public sector universities were fulfilled in a befitting manner, he said.
At present, the development expenditure of the universitieswas allocated on performance and need, where the need was defined both in terms of the particular requirements of that institutionas well as the need for improvement in the higher education at a macro level, he said.