HEC undertakes systematic process in higher education: Dr Atta
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman has said the HEC has undertaken a systematic process of reforms in higher education sector in the country.
He was addressing the 18th meeting of 3rd World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) held in Trieste, Italy, says a press release hereTuesday. Dr. Atta said that a massive programme to attract eminent Pakistani scientists, engineers and academics to return to Pakistan was initiated, adding, about 500 eminent persons who have lived most of their lives in the West, have already returned to Pakistan.
Chairman HEC further said around 1,000 scholars from Pakistan are being sent abroad annually to universities in Germany, France, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States,Australia and New Zealand for MS/PhD level training.
He said the largest “Fulbright Scholarship Programme” in theworld (US $ 150 million) with funding from USAID and HEC have been launched whereby 640 Pakistani students will be able to study forMasters and PhD level training in league universities in US.
The salary structures of university teachers have beenincreased to several times those of Federal Ministers (upto US $ 5000 per month) under a new “Tenure Track System” which involvesregular international assessment before grant of permanency, headded. This is attracting the brightest young men and women to optfor careers in education and research as their first option, he added. Dr Atta-ur-Rahman briefed the participants about the PakistanEducational and Research Network and a fibre based intranet and said that it is the platform of the Digital Library Programme of the HECwhich provides free online service to 23,000 international journalsand 40,000 E-books from 220 international publishers to universitiesand R&D organizations across the country. A well organized video-lecturing program of interactivelectures has been launched and daily lectures are being delivered from technologically advanced countries in real time to universitiesin Pakistan. Fifty linkages have been established between universities in Pakistan with British universities, he added.
“Pakistan is setting up nine new engineering universities incollaboration with Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Japan, South Korea, China and some other countries with degrees beingawarded by foreign universities to our students”, Dr. Atta said. He said an educational satellite placed in space (PAKSAT-1) in2002 is being used for distance learning through four TV channels and cable TV.
National Commissions on Biotechnology and Nanotechnology wereestablished and large programs have been initiated in these fields, he added.
Dr. Atta said these developments have been termed “a silent revolution” by the World Bank which recently carried out an in-depth analysis of the higher education section in Pakistan.