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July/August 2015
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
HEC Holds Seminar on Academia-Industry Linkages
nd2 Phase of Prime Minister ’s Laptop Scheme Launched
DoU Signed between HEC, Australian Varsities
Investment in Higher Education
Pivotal for Economic Growth
10 Pakistani Varsities among Top 300 Asian Universities
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Table of Contents
Graphic Designer
Raja Ahmad Nadeem
Reporter
Waseem Khaliqdad
Editor
Aayesha Ikram
Publisher:
Higher EducationCommission, Pakistan
News & Views is published after every two months. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publisher.
The views expressed by authors in the articles is their sole responsibility and not of HEC. The Commission would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed information and photographs for this Magazine.
6nd2 Phase of Prime
Minister’s Laptop
Scheme Launched
42
8
Ahsan Iqbal Urges
Academicians,
Researchers Role
DoU Signed
between HEC,
Australian Varsities
5
9
10
11
12
13
17
19
21
22
23
26
27
MD World Bank Terms Investment in Higher
Education Pivotal for Economic Growth
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz
Senate Body on Education Admires HEC
Performance
UK MPs Laud HEC Initiatives
HEC Committed to Developing Higher
Education Sector of Balochistan
HEC Organizes Workshop for Editors of
Social Sciences Research Journals
HEC Gets Extension in Plagiarism Prevention
Service
Ilm Pakistan Movement Launched on
Independence Day
Interview with Prof. Dr. Jianxin Zhang,
Adviser CIQG
Training Held for SZABIST English Faculty
10 Pakistani Varsities among Top 300 Asian
Universities
PIEAS Faculty Wins Award
Workshop for NAEAC Programme
Evaluators
Seminar Weighs Impacts of Corruption on
Socio-Economic Uplift
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, has urged the role of academicians and researchers for socio-economic growth of the country.
He was addressing the opening ceremony of a national symposium entitled “How to Develop Strong Linkages between Business, Industry and Academia” organized by Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Institute of Space Technology, University of Gujrat and Pakistan Institute of Entrepreneurship, held at HEC Secretariat, Islamabad. The participants of the workshop included industrialists, vice chancellors, senior academicians and researchers from across the country. The symposium was aimed to provide a platform to both industry and academia to come
Ahsan Iqbal Urges Academicians, Researchers Role
under one roof to jointly propose the fit-for-purpose policy for transformation of invention into innovation (products and production processes) which will ultimately have an impact on knowledge-based economy as a whole, and create an environment of knowledge-based revolution in Pakistan by motivating people from both academia as well as industry to utilize state-of-the-art and high end technologies for rapid innovations. While complementing HEC for bringing closer the academic community and the industry, the Minister said that the government cannot achieve its intended economic targets unless all sections of the society play their defined roles and that the contribution of academicians and researchers is of paramount importance. The Minister said that country’s image has been changed altogether during the last couple of years. “This is a real change that a country synonymous with terrorism has attracted such a huge investment under China Pakistan Economic Corridor and is being regarded as a safe haven for huge Chinese investment,” he said. He stressed the importance of positive thinking and invited all sections of the society to unite for development and prosperity of the whole nation. “History of nations shows that progress cannot be
“
“National Symposium on Academia-Industry Linkages
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The government cannot achieve its
intended economic targets unless all
sections of the society play their
defined roles and that the
contribution of academicians and
researchers is of paramount
importance.
achieved without democratic stability, strategic economic vision and positive thinking.” Mr. Ahsan urged the universities to ensure transfer of technology by enhancing linkage with industry, and provide hands-on experience to students and researchers by exposing them to currently on-going projects. He also underlined the significance of promoting entrepreneurship among students, empowering SMEs and turning focus towards technical subjects alongside soft subjects. The Minister also inaugurated a website launched for enhancing interaction among industry and academia. This is a website of its kind which is hosted on HEC portal and is the most convenient way of interaction between academia and industry. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, said that the Commission has been taking all possible steps to motivate and facilitate the higher education institutions to make research a top priority for a sustainable economic growth and future knowledge economy. He said that university research must translate into fruitful impact for society. The prevailing gap between academia and industry must now be bridged. He said that in a very short time HEC has transformed universities into a knowledge hub and now we are capable of taking the challenge of doing industrial based research. The Chairman hoped that this symposium will promote and establish a strong linkage between academia and
industry, and provide a platform for both academia and industry to interact, collaborate, and share innovative ideas and concepts. Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Tariq Mahmood, Adviser R&D, HEC, thanked all the participants for gathering to deliberate on the much-needed discourse of industry-academia linkage. He said that main objective of this Symposium is to expedite the process of technology revolution in Pakistan by motivating both academia and industry to acquire, promote and utilize state-of-the-art technologies and ideas for the rapid development of innovative products, and create an image of Pakistan in international community as a nation rich in high tech workforce, fully capable of developing innovative products and providing high-tech services to the
rest of the world. A keynote address was delivered by Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, Chairman, Rastgar Engineering Company (Pvt) Ltd wherein he underlined the need for academics and researchers to assess socio-economic needs and accordingly update the curricula as well as conduct research in those areas that can provide solutions to challenges faced by our society and economy. Later, special lectures were delivered by Dr. Arshad Ali, Rector, National Textile
stUniversity on “21 Century Challenge for the Industry”, Mr. Zahoor Sarwar, Deputy Director, ORIC, IST on “World Best Practices of Industry Academia Linkage”, Mr. Tahir Chaudhry, President Pakistan Institute of Entrepreneurship on “Turnaround Management as Entrepreneurial Activity”, and Dr. Nazir Ahmed Vaid on “e-Industry as Knowledge Economy.”
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Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Bank has appreciated the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to strengthen higher learning institutions, which she said have a key role in the socio-economic development of a country. She said this while speaking at a special session held at Higher Education Commission (HEC) recently which was attended by vice chancellors, faculty members, research scholars and students. Over 60 universities of the country were connected through video-conferencing. Ms. Indrawati thanked HEC for providing her an opportunity to talk to educators, students and hear from them. She said that Pakistan has shown good economic progress during the last few years due to right steps taken by the Government, however she emphasized that the country needs to do much more to compete at regional as well as global level. The WB Managing Director said that Pakistan has a huge potential of human and natural resources. She said Pakistan’s growing middle class was representing a powerful engine for change. Terming macro-economic stability of the country as encouraging, she stressed a lot needs to be done. She said that Pakistan’s people have proved themselves
MD World Bank Terms Investment in Higher Education Pivotal for Economic Growth
resilient in the face of extremist attacks, natural disasters, frequent floods and extreme weather. She said that
thPakistan is the 6 most populous country of the world with half population which is less than 24 years, adding that the country needs to effectively use its human resource and facilitate their participation through all means. She particularly mentioned the drop-out rate of students at country’s primary and secondary levels. She also highlighted the importance of gender equality in the development process, terming it indispensable for enhancing productivity. Ms. Indrawati underscored the importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for Pakistan’s economic growth. She said that Pakistan should effectively take benefit of its strategic location for achieving economic objectives. Earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman
HEC, thanked the Managing Director of World Bank for sparing time to address Pakistan’s academic and research community terming it a valuable opportunity for them to learn from her experience. He said that the role of higher education is critical for economic development of any country. He briefly stated HEC initiatives for development of higher education and research and how, since inception of HEC in 2002, has brought about a paradigm shift. The Chairman said that HEC was striving to further increase the access rate to higher learning with strict measures to ensure quality as well as promoting relevant research to impact society. He also briefed Ms. Indrawati on three Centres of Advanced Studies in Food, Water and Agriculture being established by HEC.
In the end, Dr. Mahmood ul Hassan Butt, Consultant HEC, presented vote of thanks.
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Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Bank, holding a meeting with Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and university representatives at HEC Secretariat, Islamabad.
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Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, has been awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in recognition of his services in the field of higher education.
Dr. Ahmed, who assumed the charge of Chairman HEC in April 2014, was previously Deputy Director General, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) based in Rabat, Morocco, where he was responsible for Directorates of Education, Science, Culture and Communication, ICPSR, CPID (Planning and Strategic Division) and ISESCO Regional Centres.
As Executive Director HEC and Member (Operations and Planning) HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed played a key role in the formulation and implementation of reforms in the higher education sector of the country.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz
With a PhD from University of California, Riverside, USA, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has over 25 years of educational development and management experience at national and international level that includes teaching, research, administration, policy development, linking educational research to industry /commercialization, introducing entrepreneurial approaches to education and a diverse range of educational development programmes.
His distinguished career is enriched with diverse academic, research and administrative experience
both in public and private sectors of higher education in Pakistan.
He has worked with numerous educational and other institutions in different capacities at national and international levels as Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor, Chairman/Head of Departments, Dean, Consultant, Coordinator, Project Director, Director Student Affairs, Director Campus, Rector, Acting Executive Director HEC, Member (Operations and Planning) HEC, Deputy Director General, ISESCO and recently as Executive Director HEC.
His distinguished career is
enriched with diverse
academic, research and
administrative experience
both in public and private
sectors of higher
education in Pakistan.
nd2 Phase of Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme Launched
HAIER Wins Contract for Provision of 200,000 Laptops-cum-tablets
The second phase of Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme has been launched with award of contract to the successful bidder for provision of 200,000 laptops to university students. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC), announced this during a press conference in Islamabad recently. The Chairman appreciated Transparency International, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and relevant technical committees for their contribution and guidance during the whole process.
M/s. Haier Electrical Alliance Corp. China has won the contract. He said that under the new award, the two-in-one laptop (laptop-cum-tablet) will be delivered from November 2015. The company will train engineers and will also set up performance testing laboratory in Pakistan. Students receiving
these laptops will have 170 Microsoft Licensed software as well as access to digital library. Giving details of the award, the Chairman HEC said that the tender was advertised on April 12, 2015 with the bid submission/ opening date of May 12, 2015. Pre-bid meeting with potential bidders was held on April 21, 2015.
The first extension in bid submission/opening date was given till May 26, 2015 while second extension in bid submission/opening date was
given till June 9, 2015. The tender was opened on June 9, 2015. Dr. Mukhtar said one bidder M/s Haier Electrical Appliances Corp. China submitted its bid. Technical proposal of the submitted bid was opened and handed over for technical evaluation. The Technical
Committee visited the local assembling facility at Haier Industrial Park, Lahore and recommendations of Technical Committee were forwarded to the Tender Committee. The Financial Bid was opened on July 8, 2015. The Chairman HEC said that market price comparison was done through an independent committee of IT Expert
headed by a vice chancellor and experts from different universities. Resultantly, the tender was awarded to M/s Haier Electrical Alliance Corporation, China.
Students receiving
these laptops will have
170 Microsoft
Licensed software as
well as access to
digital library.
“
“
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Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, HEC, has expressed a resolve to improve academic collaboration and aim for a strategic partnership, instead of relying on individual effort,
Turkish Ambassador Calls on Chairman HEC
in the field of higher education with Turkey. He said this during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Mr. Babur Girgin who called on the
Chairman at HEC Secretariat. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed will invite his Turkish counterpart to come to Pakistan along with a group of vice chancellors of Turkish universities and visit the seat of higher learning in Pakistan and pave the way for collaboration.
The Ambassador expressed his interest in enhancing academic links between the two countries.
A send-off ceremony for HEC scholars to pursue MS and PhD studies in France was held at HEC Secretariat recently.
As many as 92 scholars have been selected from across Pakistan to pursue MS and PhD studies in French universities, under “Overseas Scholarship for MS/MPhil leading to PhD in Selected Fields, Phase-II”. HEC has so far sent 654 scholars to France for PhD under different scholarship programmes, out of which, 432 have successfully completed their degrees. However, under the Overseas Scholarship Programme, a total of 291 scholars proceeded to France, out of which 165 have successfully completed their PhD studies. Congratulating the selected scholars, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC urged them to properly utilize their stay in France and excel in academic and research work. He said, “You will be ambassadors of Pakistan in France and we expect all of you to prove yourselves as socially responsible citizens,” he said. The Chairman said that HEC has been greatly emphasizing on human resource development
Send-off Ceremony
92 HEC Scholars to Leave for France on MS/ PhD Scholarships
programmes to provide highly-qualified faculty and researchers to Universities, R&D organizations and industries. “HEC has allocated more than 35 percent of the development funds through merit based scholarship programmes being managed by HEC as well as by the public sector universities. Mr. Pierre Fournier, Chargé d’ Affaires, French Embassy thanked HEC and the Government of Pakistan for sending scholars to France for higher studies, adding that the performance of Pakistani scholars has been very good.
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Scholarships will be offered for doctoral studies in all areas of knowledge which are currently being offered at these universities keeping in view the Pakistani needs and demands. Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, and Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, recently signed a Document of Understanding (DoU) for partial scholarships for Pakistani scholars in the Australian universities. The universities which will provide these fellowships include University of Melbourne, Macquarie University, University of Wollongong and RMIT University which are the world top ranked universities of Australia. These universities will provide 170 partial PhD Scholarships. Under the joint scholarship programme, University of Melbourne has offered 75 full tuition fee waiver PhD scholarships in next five years, University of Wollongong has offered 25 full tuition fee waiver PhD scholarships in next five years, and RMIT University has offered 20 full tuition fee waiver PhD scholarships in next four years. HEC funding will cover maintenance allowance, air travel and health insurance. Macquarie University has offered 50 PhD scholarships in next five years which will cover maintenance allowance, health insurance and partial tuition fee. HEC will provide tuition fee and air fare as per DoU. Scholarships will be offered for doctoral studies in all areas of knowledge which are currently being offered at these universities keeping in view the Pakistani needs and demands. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Margaret Adamson said that Pakistan and Australia have a history of cooperation in different fields which has been growing over the years. Talking about Australia’s strong background in Agriculture, Water Resources, Livestock and Food Security, she said that her country will increase R&D collaboration with Pakistan in these areas.
DoU Signed between HEC, Australian Varsities
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed thanked the Australian Government, particularly the High Commission in Pakistan, for encouraging and facilitating cooperation in the higher education sector. He underlined the significance of individual-to-individual as well as institution-to-institution collaboration for research and development activities. Appreciating the High Commissioner for her keen interest in area of tertiary education, the Chairman said that HEC is expecting more collaborations with other renowned Australian universities in near future. He said HEC has been greatly emphasizing on human resource development programmes to provide well qualified motivated faculty and researchers to Universities, R&D organizations and industries. The University of Melbourne is Australia's second oldest public research university located in Melbourne, Victoria and was founded in 1853.
thTimes Higher Education ranks Melbourne as 34 in the world, while the QS World University Rankings
rdplaces Melbourne 33 in the world. It may be noted HEC has earlier signed Document of Understanding with University of New South Wales (UNSW) in year 2013 under which UNSW has offered 75 full tuition fee waiver PhD scholarships in next five years. First batch of PhD scholars will join Fall 2015 session.
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A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training was recently held at Higher Education Commission, Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Senator Raheela Magsi. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, gave a detailed presentation on activities and achievements of the Higher Education Commission. He informed the Committee that the basic mandate of the Commission is to formulate policies, guiding principles and priorities for higher education institutions for promotion of socio-economic development of the country. “HEC reviews and examines financial requirements of public sector institutions, approves and provides funds to these institutions on the basis of annual recurring needs as well as for development projects and research based on specific proposals and performance. We also support development of linkages between Institutions and industry as well as national and international organizations that fund research and development with a view to enhancing basic as well as applied research.”
On the Committee’s query, the Chairman HEC briefed them about the status of students enrolled in the Engineering Technology Programme. He informed the Committee that National Technology Council will be operational soon and will properly regulate the technology-related degree courses.
Senate Body on Education Admires HEC Performance Lawmakers assure HEC of full support in accomplishment of goals
Dr. Mukhtar informed the Committee that thousands of scholarships have been awarded for PhD studies abroad in all major disciplines. He said that these scholars are sent to different universities of the world and also ensured that they come back to serve Pakistan. “Not only this but we also ensure that these returning scholars are provided the right kind of environment, be it IT and physical infrastructure, research grants or any other facility that they avail in the international institutions,” said Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed. The Chairman also briefed the Committee on HEC’s governing body, stating that it has representation of members of international eminence and proven ability with significant contribution to Higher Education and that they represent all regions of the country. Dr. Mukhtar briefed the Senators about various HEC initiatives for development of higher education, including different scholarship and R&D opportunities available for faculty members, researchers and students, particularly those people who cannot afford higher education on their own expense. Giving detail of different programmes for youth, the Chairman said, “We believe that significance of youth in any society could not be undermined. Every possible step is being taken to facilitate our youth.” Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed informed the guests about Government’s plan to open one university or at least its campus in every district.
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The Federal Government recently announced through Higher Education Commission (HEC) that the tuition fee and approved mandatory charges of all new university admissions will be paid in advance from financial year 2015-16 under Prime Minister's Tuition Fee Scheme.
The basic objective of this initiative is to increase outreach of the scheme and further facilitate the students who apply in universities under it. The scheme has been designed to provide financial assistance to the students of less developed regions eligible for admission on open merit.
An amount of Rs. 1.8 billion has been allocated for this new initiative of paying fee in advance from Fall 2015/ Spring 2016, which will encourage meritorious and needy students to apply for higher studies without worrying about their university dues.
The newly admitted students have to apply through Student's Web Portal of the scheme. The university concerned will verify the eligibility of its students and funds will be released to the university by HEC accordingly. Students with valid domicile/ local certificates of specified areas enrolled in Masters, MS/
HEC to Pay Students Fee in Advance
MPhil programmes in public sector universities or postgraduate colleges located in their respective region are eligible.
Furthermore, the students with valid domicile/local certificates of selected areas enrolled in PhD programme in any public sector university of Pakistan are also eligible under the scheme. During the last two years, HEC has reimbursed tuition fee and other approved charges of more than 100,000 students of less developed areas amounting to Rs. 2.5 billion.
The areas included under the scheme are Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA, Interior Sindh, Southern Punjab, AJK, Malakand, Kohistan, Dera Ismail Khan divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Attock, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Khushab districts of Punjab.
The scheme covers tuition, admission, examination, laboratory, library and research fees of Masters, MS/ MPhil and PhD students. New areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa such as Lakki Marwat, Batgram, Kala Dhaka/ Torghar, Kohat, Bannu, Hangu and Karak have also been included to ensure maximum facilitation to students of these areas.
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Prof. Dr. Mahmood ul Butt, Consultant Higher Education Commission, has said that HEC is making structured efforts to improve the quality, access and relevance of higher education sector in Pakistan.
He said this while talking to a delegation members of the UK Parliament. He mentioned that HEC and British Council have a joint aim to promote the role of universities as not just generators of theoretical research, but as important members of the community that can contribute to development.
The delegation comprised Ms. Tasmina Ahmad Sheikh, Ms. Hannah Bardell, and Ms. Yasmin Qureshi.
The UK delegation showed its interest for future collaborative efforts in linking efforts of young generation for community development and social enterprise programmes. HEC is currently collaborating with British Council (BC) through Citizenship Education and Community Engagement programme “Active Citizens” and Social enterprise programme.
UK MPs Laud HEC Initiatives
PM’s Tuition Fee Scheme
HEC Committed to Developing
Higher Education Sector of BalochistanSenator Usman Khan Kakar, Provincial President and Central Secretary of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, called on Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission at HEC Secretariat.
Issues pertaining to the universities of Balochistan were discussed during the meeting. The Chairman briefed the Senator about various HEC initiatives for development of higher education in the province, including different scholarships as well as research and development
opportunities available for faculty members, researchers, students and, particularly, those people who cannot afford higher education. The Chairman also gave detail of programmes under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package as well as Prime Minister's Youth Programme.
“We believe that significance of youth in any society could not be undermined. Therefore every possible step is being taken to facilitate our youth,” he said. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed informed
the guest that the Federal Government has announced to open one university or at least its sub-campus in every district of the country, adding that HEC will establish eight new sub-campuses in different parts of Balochistan over the next three years. Senator Usman Khan Kakar appreciated HEC for bringing the much-needed change due to its initiatives during the last decade.
He assured complete support of the provincial government and his party for further developing the university education in Balochistan.
We believe that
significance of youth
in any society could
not be undermined.
Therefore every
possible step is being
taken to facilitate our
youth.
“
“
The Government has released an amount of Rs. 25.673 billion for development projects of higher education sector for Fiscal Year 2014-15. The allocated amount was Rs. 20.021 billion in the last year's budget. Such a development has taken place for the first time in the history of HEC since its inception in 2002 that the incumbent Government has not only provided a significant
Enhanced Budget for Higher Education amount for the development projects but also an enhanced budget has been released through a supplementary grant. A total of 91 projects have been completed in FY 2014-15, however 10 of these projects were completed due to the extra amount. The exemplary step shows commitment of the ruling Government towards development of higher education sector in Pakistan.
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Academics Division of Higher Education Commission in collaboration with the HEC Regional Centre, Quetta, organized a two-day Workshop for Editors of Social Sciences research journals of Balochistan at HEC Regional Centre, Quetta.
The workshop was aimed to enhance the quality of research journals, making the editing process more contemporary and at par with international standards, discussing modern research methodologies in editing, introducing emerging trends in Social Sciences research, building an interaction among the editors and promoting code of ethics in editing.
The main purpose of the workshop was to provide editors with a forum to
Editing at Par with Int'l Standards
HEC Organizes Workshop for Editors of Social Sciences Research Journals
exchange their views and editorial experiences with one another. The workshop participants highlighted the issues and challenges faced by them relating to indexing/ abstracting, peer-reviewing and publication process of their journals.
Prof. Dr. Raja Nasim Akhtar, Chief Editor, Kashmir Journal of Language Research, AJK University, Muzafarabad, was the Resource Person.
Mr. Fida Hussain, Director General Academics, HEC,
Islamabad, welcomed the participant. He informed the participants that HEC prepared ethical guidelines for editors, authors, peer-reviewers of the HEC recognized research journals.
Presenting the main points of the guidelines, he said these guidelines would be helpful in improving quality and removing ethical concerns in publishing of research journals. He saidthe Academics Division will hold similar workshops also for the editors of research journals of other provinces.
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Farewell to Director USAIDHigher Education Commission hosted a farewell dinner in honor of Dr. Thomas LeBlanc, who has completed his tenure in Pakistan as Director- Education, USAID.
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, said the Pak-US educational partnership spans decades of consistent cooperation, even during the difficult and challenging times. He mentioned that Pakistani higher education institutions like IBA, Karachi, Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Karachi, University of Agricultural Faisalabad, Institute of Education
and Research and Lahore University of Management Sciences are a few examples of this Pak-US higher education collaboration. HEC in collaboration with USAID currently running different programmes including Fulbright, Pak-US Science and Technology Programme, Merit and Needs based Scholarship Programme and Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies at four universities. The Fulbright Scholarship Programme has produced more than 412 Masters and PhDs. More than 2800 scholarships has been awarded under Merit and Need based Scholarship Programme.
Higher Education Commission has gained one-year extension in the Plagiarism Prevention Service (Turnitin) for around 115 universities and degree awarding institutions in Pakistan.
The service was initially given in 2009 to 60 public sector universities for checking theses, papers
and assignments of students at post-graduate and under-graduate levels.
The service is a part of the Pakistan Education Research
Network (PERN) and is accessible through internet. Both the public and private
sector universities are using this service for development of
a quality research culture.
As per the usage details of 2014-15, the universities in Pakistan have
uploaded 546,615 documents to check originality of the content and, out of this, 280,571
were without un-original work.
Around 10,000 assignments were graded through Grade Mark component which provides a transparent online assessment system. The Higher Education Commission is regularly
HEC Gets Extension in Plagiarism Prevention Service
Turnitin comprises three main components i.e., Originality Check, Peer Mark, and Grade Mark. The main objective of this service is to provide complete support
system to the faculty members and students for developing writing skills.
Originality Check
Grade Mark
Peer Mark
organizing trainings for focal persons in universities as well as for individual faculty members. It is also providing online support for the faculty members who can use share screen option for immediate solution of their issues.
Turnitin comprises three main components i.e. Originality Check, Peer Mark, and
Grade Mark. The main objective of this service is to provide complete
support system to the faculty members and students for developing writing skills. The faculty members are required to guide students about proper referencing and critically
analyzing work of peers. The Grade Mark further provides
opportunity to have direct interaction with the faculty members
for improving and enhancing the content.
The service is being used by more than 15,000 institutions in more than 130 countries. The institutions include universities, colleges and schools in some cases. It is user friendly and supports English, Arabic and other 10 languages in full-fledged manner.
Turn-it-in
Dr. Asif Khan Khattak has successfully completed his PhD from the School of
Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia,
HEC Scholar Completes PhD from UK Norwich, UK, under the supervision of Prof. Alastair Grant (University of East Anglia) and Dr. Philip Wigge (University of Cambridge). He conducted his PhD research at the University of East Anglia and at the adjacent
John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. He was awarded an overseas PhD scholarship under the Faculty Development Programme (FDP) of the University of Peshawar, funded by the HEC, Islamabad.
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Financial Management Trainings Conclude
Trainings of 700 Executives from Higher Education Institutions at IBA
TESP Convenes Post-training Session for Trainees
Three training sessions of financial management, in which 102 officials from various higher education institutions were trained, were concluded recently. Mr. Afnan Alam, Deputy Director, Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), graced the event as chief guest. He commended the capacity building initiative of HEC. He stressed upon the need of reiterative trainings.
Following an agreement signed between Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, under HEC's Tertiary Education Support Programme (TESP), trainings of 700 executives from higher education institutions of Pakistan were held at IBA. As per contract signed by Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Dean and Director, IBA, Karachi and Mr. Asad Khan, Programme Coordinator TESP, the Centre for Executive Education provided the complete solutions of training including faculty, course development, delivery, feedback and course administration.
A post-training event was held at Higher Education Commission for the trainees who had visited AIT Bangkok and Australia.
Mr. Asad Khan, Programme Coordinator TESP, briefed the participants about TESP and its capacity building initiatives for Higher Education Institutions.
WB Country Director Calls on Chairman HEC
Mr. Rachid Benmessaoud, World Bank's Country Director for Pakistan called on Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, and discussed progress on joint initiative of both the institutions under
Tertiary Education Support Programme (TESP).
The meeting focused on further enhancing collaboration for development of higher education sector.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed shared HEC's significant investments towards developing institutional facilities, introduction of new disciplines in market based technologies, development of human resource including faculty, improvement in research facilities and various linkages with local and foreign universities.
He also dwelt on HEC's activities for capacity building of researchers and support to universities in promotion of research as well as commercialization of research.
A C T I V I T I E STESP
HEC Launches Trainings for Public Sector Varsity StaffHigher Education Commission (HEC) with the technical support of Tertiary Education Support Programme (TESP) and IBA, Karachi, launched a series of training workshops for the capacity building of public sector universities.
First two trainings on Leadership and Change Management and Human Resource Management were held recently. The training was inaugurated by Mr. Asad Khan, Programme Coordinator TESP. In his remarks he said that capacity building is an important component of Tertiary Education Support Programme. The main objective of this component is to strengthen the implementation capacity of HEC and TEI employees.
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News & Views
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A two-day training on “Effective Financial Aid Offices for USAID -- Merit and Need Based Scholarship Programme” was organized by HEC and USAID. Over 35 representatives of Financial Aid Offices of 24 partner universities of USAID attended the training that was aimed to improve effectiveness and efficiency of these offices in communication skills, coordination and interaction with aspiring students regarding scholarships and procedure involving execution of the programme. This is a $37 million scholarship programme offering fully-funded graduate and undergraduate degrees in 31 public and private universities. It is being implemented by the HEC.
HEC, USAID Training for Financial Aid Offices Fifty percent of scholarships under the Programme are reserved for meritorious and deserving female students. Prof. Dr. G. Raza Bhatti, Executive Director HEC, highlighted various programmes of HEC including local and overseas scholarship projects, faculty and infrastructure development. He appreciated support from the US government and partner universities in promoting higher education and emphasized that the focal persons, after attending the training, must implement the techniques for efficient functioning of Financial Aid offices.
The USAID-funded Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) in Agriculture and Food Security established at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, has started functioning to help boost agriculture sector.
The centre will also help alleviate hunger by producing trained manpower, research work and outreach in collaboration with the University of California, Davis.
It was stated by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan while talking to journalists. He said that under the project, as many as five chairs including Bio-Technology; Precision Agriculture; Climate Change; Outreach; and Agriculture Policy Chair have been established. He said that a state-of-the-art building of CAS worth Rs. 550 million was being set up at the UAF in which 12 well-equipped
CAS in Agriculture Kicks off at UAF
laboratories would be established. He said that CAS will offer 100 scholarships this year. Out of these scholarships, 20 scholarships are for PhD programme and 80 others are for Masters/ Mphil programmes.
Dr Jim Hill from the University of California Davis, USA. said that USPCAS-AFS will help UAF find innovative solutions to solve national and global challenges related to food, agriculture, and environment through excellence in education, research and outreach. He said that CAS will help UAF produce the highest quality workforce in the fields
of food and agricultural production to bridge the gap of academic research with industry and government and to conduct client oriented applied research in focus areas to ensure sustainable agriculture and food security. He said that UAF is the top agricultural institution in Pakistan. He added that students exchange programme under CAS will bring collaborative research and cultural outcomes.
Additional secretary Livestock Ashiq Dogar and Additional Secretary for Agriculture Planning Sardar Hussain also spoke on the occasion.
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Ilm Pakistan Movement was launched at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat, Islamabad.
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, was chief guest on the occasion.
Mr. Baleegh-ur-Rahman, Minister for Education and Training, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, vice chancellors, academicians, researchers and students were present on the occasion. Ilm Pakistan Movement is aimed at empowering the country’s educational process enabling it to improve students’ academic achievement, attitudes towards civic responsibility, respect for diversity and
Ilm Pakistan Movement Launched on Independence Day
tolerance. It will also empower teachers to improve performance level of students and bring forth parents as active participants and stakeholders and will also increase awareness for quality education.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal thanked HEC for hosting launch of Ilm Pakistan Movement. He said that this is the age of knowledge revolution and it is imperative to strengthen our knowledge economy if we want to
compete in the comity of nations. Congratulating the nation on Independence Day, he said that real independence is when there is freedom of knowledge and intellectual growth in any society. Saluting the efforts and sacrifices of the founding fathers, he said that they struggled for creation of Pakistan with meager resources but the motivation and commitment was so high that nothing could stop them from achieving the set targets.
The explosion of information is exponentially growing in the world and unless we have the ability to innovate and embrace inventions, we will not be able to compete in the knowledge revolution.
If we compare the
conditions in which Pakistan
was created to the present
situation when we have all
kinds of resources available for
Pakistan’s development, we
see that it is much easier for
us to achieve our targets
provided we have self-belief,
positive thinking and a future
vision that provides us a
roadmap for development.
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“
“
He mentioned Science Talent Farming Scheme for students, endowment fund for 50,000 talented students, standardization of examination system, national curriculum council and creation of knowledge corridor with partner countries as the government’s commitment towards prioritizing education. “To create harmony, we have to embrace the global challenges of knowledge revolution.” “If we compare the conditions in which Pakistan was created to the present situation when we have all kinds of resources available for Pakistan’s development, we see that it is much easier for us to achieve our targets provided we have self-belief, positive thinking and a future vision that provides us a roadmap for development.” Elaborating the Government’s Vision 2025, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said that knowledge is an important component of this Vision and that is why the Government is ensuring complete participation of our academicians and researchers.
He said that the explosion of information is exponentially growing in the world and unless we have the ability to innovate and embrace inventions, we will not be able to compete in the knowledge revolution. He said that through launch of Ilm
Movement, the Government will further strengthen the holistic framework for achieving knowledge objectives set in the Vision 2025. Mr. Baleegh-ur-Rahman said that our destination is a brighter and safer Pakistan
and that can only be achieved through knowledge revolution.
He said that Vision 2025 provides a comprehensive
roadmap for aligning our
knowledge base with socio-economic demands. He appreciated the Planning Division for taking special care of the educational development initiatives. He also mentioned successful
launching of the National Curriculum Council, which he said was aimed to develop basic standards for curriculum development in all federating units of the country. He informed the gathering that Pakistan will also adopt Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 along with other nations at United Nations in September this year and that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will represent Pakistan on this occasion. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed also underlined significance of knowledge for a nation’s growth and appreciated the initiatives for development of education at all levels. He also mentioned the potential of Pakistani youth, which he said if tapped properly will take Pakistan to new heights. He said that initiatives of Ilm Pakistan Movement will be expanded across the country.
He also mentioned Government’s initiative to provide access to higher education in every district, adding that it is being ensured that quality is not compromised and for that purpose strict quality assurance measures have been implemented.
“Time and the challenges that this country has faced have proven that solution to all our problems lie in quality education, which is not limited to major cities but reaches all nooks and corners of the country”.
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News & Views conducted an interview of Prof. Dr. Jianxin Zhang, Asia-Pacific Quality Network Board Member and Adviser to
Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) International Quality Assurance Group (CIQG), who was on a visit to Pakistan. She expressed her views about Pakistan and shared her experience. She also admired the efforts continued for promotion of higher education in Pakistan, especially the role of HEC. Excerpts of the interview are being shared below.
Q: How do you see Pakistan-China friendship?A: China and Pakistan is higher than the highest mountain in the world, deeper than the deepest sea of the world and sweeter than honey. I want to contribute to boosting of friendship between the two countries.
Q: You said you have visited HEC also. So, how will you define HEC?A: HEC works for the promotion of higher
education sector. Although, HEC was established in 2002, yet it has made tangible progress. Quality Assurance in Pakistan is more open than in Europe, USA and the rest of world.
Q: China is a diverse country. Is there a consensus of all institutions on a uniform syllabus and other academic matters like teaching and research? A: Yes, everyone knows that China is a very diverse country with a population of 1.68 billion people and an area of 965 sqkm, having 56 ethnic groups and 34 provinces and municipalities. There are 25 ethnic minorities in Yunan province only. In 2014, China had 2529 regular higher education institutions and 35.6 million students on campus -- largest in the world. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 37.5 per cent. As everyone knows, the Chinese government unites many things such as a same time zone, a same language and so on. As for basic education and bachelors programmes, we have a consensus on having a uniform syllabus, but different institutions can choose textbooks; every teacher can choose a topic for research which interests him or her. As far as the higher level of education is concerned, we have a flexible curriculum. Like, I, as a supervisor of graduate students, made the entire syllabus myself and I chose all
People in Pakistan say that the friendship between
CIQG Adviser Sees Quality Assurance in Pakistan More 'Open' than in Europe
I want to contribute to strengthening of Pak-China relations.
The name of Pakistan means "land of the pure". In this land of the pure, the best and close friends of the Chinese live. I have been highly impressed with them and I like them.
HEC works for the promotion of higher education sector. Although, HEC was established in 2002, yet it has made tangible
progress in this short time.
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research topics myself. That is why till now I have published five monographs, 10 edited or translated books, and 150 papers. To me, I think that interest is the mother of creativity. China has changed a lot. It was 40 years ago and since then China is improving day by day. Q: Will you tell us about your experience as an Advisor at CHEA International Quality Group?A: Since 2012, I have been adviser of CHEA International Quality Group. CIQG meets the need for advancing the understanding of international quality issues and it is essential to promote high-quality higher education in today’s competitive and globalized world. CIQG serves as a valuable forum for colleges, universities, accreditation and quality assurance bodies worldwide to address issues, challenges and opportunities related to academic quality. This exciting venture will bring together people, ideas and resources from around the world to support institutions and accreditation or quality assurance bodies in expanding their international engagement and tackling tough issues such as defining quality, addressing rankings, combating degree mills and things like that. This year in DeTao Academy in Shanghai, China; Education Masters StamenkaUvalić-Trumbić and Sir John Daniel, Judith, Judith Eaton, President CHEA, DorteKristoferson and me held a workshop on “Self-review of DeTao’s teaching activities using the CIQG Quality Platform Standards” which made up of four standards i.e., learning outcomes; expectation goals; credit transfer; and national/ international comparability. It focuses on Student Learning Outcomes.
Q: How can APQN help improve the Quality Assurance in member institutions?A: Established in 2003 in Hong Kong, APQN is 12 years old. It is a non-governmental, professional, regional network of education Quality Assurance. By December 31, 2014, the total number of membership reached 149 from 40 countries and regions in Asia Pacific. APQN has made a positive contribution to promotion of substantive Quality Assurance cooperation among members.
Q: How do you see Pakistan as far as the PPQN is concerned? A: Pakistan’s performance is outstanding. Among a total of 56 submitted papers, Pakistan ranked No. 1. I hope that Pakistan can contribute more in the near future to realizing the APQN mission to enhance the quality of higher education in Asia and the Pacific region by strengthening the work of quality assurance agencies and by extending cooperation between them.
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Prof. Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi has completed his tenure at Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat as Member (Academics).
Dr. Kundi also held the acting charge of Executive Director, HEC. Dr. Kundi reported back to his parent institution, the University of Balochistan, Quetta, where his retirement is due at the age of superannuation. He had joined HEC in April 2014. A farewell ceremony for Dr. Kundi was hosted at HEC Islamabad which was attended by all staff members of the Commission. Speaking on the
Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi Completes Tenure at HECoccasion, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, appreciated the contribution of Dr. Kundi during his stint as Executive Director. Dr. Kundi, former Vice Chancellor of Gomal University, has over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience in the higher education sector. Having MS degree from University of Arizona and PhD from University of Balochistan, Dr. Kundi earlier served in different capacities not only in Pakistani universities, but also in universities in Turkey. He has written a number of books as well as published research articles in journals of international repute, and has represented Pakistan in various academic and research events worldwide.
The British Council held a three-day training workshop of English language faculty at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Karachi recently. The training conducted by Mr. Mark Dean Jasper, a UK based consultant, was with reference to an MoU signed between SZABIST and British Council to strengthen English language courses for the incoming students.
Mr. Robin Davies, Director British Council, Sindh and Balochistan, gave the certificates of
MoU with British Council
Training Held for SZABIST English Faculty
completion to the participants on the final day. This collaboration is the first of its kind in Pakistan and SZABIST will be the pioneer in adopting the blended learning model of English language teaching and learning. This blended learning course will be offered to students from August 2015. The project team is headed by Dr. Tayyaba Tamim, Director Academics SZABIST and Head Department of Education and Ms.Arzu Daniel, Director English British Council Pakistan. The project team comprises Dr. Fatima Dar, Mr. Bilal Ahmed, Ms.Hira Anwar and Mr. Usman Khalid.
Dr. Abdul Wali Khan working as Assistant Executive Director, Federal
Government, Polyclinic (PGMI), Islamabad, has completed his PhD in Public Health under HEC scholarship programme.
During his studies, he conducted research on occupational hazards, exposure
HEC Scholar Completes PhD in Public Healthto cotton dusts and endotoxin, spirometry and industrial hygiene safety measures in the cotton industry of Punjab.
For the first time cotton dusts, particulate matter, nano-particles (ultra-fine particles), pesticides and endotoxin were measured in the cotton industry of Pakistan and their deleterious effects on cotton workers were determined. From these findings a
research paper was published in Britain Medical Journal (BMJ) Open. Additionally, cellular effects and hazards effects on respiratory system were also determined.
Cytotoxic and genotoxic cellular effects applying Buccal Micronucleus Cytome Assay were first time world-wide evaluated in cotton weavers, these findings were published in ‘Mutagenesis, an Oxford Journal’.
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News FlashThe Faculty of Social Sciences, Bahauddin Zakria University [BZU], Multan, held a two-day national workshop on preparation of courses for Peace and Conflict Resolution Programme. Dr. Fakhr-ul-Islam, Director, was invited as a Resource Person. Apart from conducting two work sessions, he also presented a module entitled "Jirga as Conflict
Resolution Institution" designed by him. The other Resource Persons were: Dr. Aslam Parvez Memon, Pro-VC Sindh University, and Dr Muhammad Mushtaq from the University of Gujrat. The participants took keen interest in the role of Jirga in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), United Kingdom, has announced Asian Ranking 2015, in which 10 Pakistani universities have made their place.
The Pakistani universities include Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Quaid-i-Azam University, Aga Khan University, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Lahore University of Management
10 Pakistani Varsities among Top 300 Asian Universities
Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, University of the Punjab, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, and University of Karachi.
HEC also issues ranking of Pakistani universities. The latest HEC ranking was announced in May 2015.
Ranking 2015
A cheque distribution ceremony was held at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, in which Prof. Dr. Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor, distributed cheques among 30 students of the Department of Teacher Education.
The scholarship is funded by USAID, Pakistan Reading Project (PRP).
In the first instalment Rs. 20,000 were given to each student on the basis of merit. The USAID PRP has released Rs. 4.8 million for BS (Four Year
30 SALU Students Awarded ScholarshipsProgramme) in the form of scholarship.
Dr. Parveen Shah thanked the USAID, PRP team and Focal Person Prof. Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah for their sincere efforts. She said the SALU produced very good students and all the stakeholders of the community will benefit when these skilled future teachers will go to schools and colleges. Dr. Shah urged the cheque recipients to take care of public money and work hard to uphold the worth and sanctity of their degrees.
Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah, Chairman, Department of Teacher Education, briefed on the achievements of the department. Dr. Mallah said they have announced MS/ MPhil programmes in education and the classes will start from August 2015.
Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology (SUIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Police School of Explosive Handling, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police at a ceremony in Central Police Office.
The MoU aims to enhance Research & Development (R&D) activities, build capacity of KP police and impart soft skills training to police officials of KP by conducting technical training sessions within and outside the university.
Prof. Dr. Salim-ur-Rehman, Vice Chancellor SUIT, and Mian Muhammad Asif, Additional Inspector General
SUIT Signs MoU with KP Police School
of Police (Headquarters), signed the MoU.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor said that strong Academia-Industry linkages are need of the hour for economic growth. He assured that SUIT will provide all the services pertaining to research and development,
capacity building, technical staff provision and expertise to KP Police.
The Additional IGP appreciated the efforts of SUIT for its efforts to train the staff of KP Police and provide a useful platform for the police link with academic enviroment.
Aiming at Capacity Building of Police
PIEAS Faculty Wins AwardDr. Shabana Saeed, Associate Professor, Department of Medical Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), was recently awarded first prize for the oral presentation of her research paper.
The research paper entitled “Tc-99m ceftizoxime, scintigraphy in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the diabetic
thfoot” was presented at 7 International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (ISDF) held in The Hague, Netherlands. The research involved the
is the world's leading forum on diabetic foot that attracts nearly 3000 participants and over 100 research papers from all over the world.
Leading experts in diabetes mellitus, surgeons and diagnosticians converge to this forum every four years.
development of radio labeled drug to depict occult infections. The physicians treating diabetic foot find it hard to diagnose the presence of infection in bones around such lesions, which otherwise has a different route of management.
During human trials with the help of physicians of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hospital, Islamabad, researchers found the imaging with this agent to be exceptionally useful to illustrate the presence of infection in diabetic foot. ISDF
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Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, has said that the Centres for Advanced Study (CAS) programme builds a legacy of collaboration between Pakistan and the US involving over 50 years of cooperation, progress and shared vision for advancement of education, science, technology, agriculture and commerce. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of panel discussion on role of three newly established Centres for Advanced Study in Energy, Food Security and Agriculture, and Water held at HEC Secretariat recently.
These centres have been established respectively at National University of Sciences and Technology, UET Peshawar, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) and Mehran University, Jamshoro. Each centre will establish a partnership with at least one university in the United States with expertise in the technical focus of the centre, and working relationships with the business community and government agencies that relate to the technical focus of each centre.
Each centre will develop using a different model, based on the capacity of the university and needs
Building a legacy of collaboration between Pakistan, US
Centres on Energy, Food, Water to Focus on Pakistan’s Key Challenges
of the sectors. The CAS is seen as a long-term effort with potential for subsequent phases. Mr. Greg Gottlieb, Mission Director USAID, Vice Chancellors, Members of National and Provincial Assemblies, academicians, researchers, senior government officials and other stakeholders attended the discussion. The Chairman HEC said that HEC has played a significant role to achieve excellence in Science
and Technology and transform human development to the knowledge based economy. He mentioned that the modern university, with its amalgam of quality teaching, innovation and research, is different from the universities of past as they only served as teaching grounds. “It is your responsibility to come up with tangible short-term and long-term
solutions to the challenges that the country is facing in these critical areas.” Mr. Gottlieb said that these centres will provide important bridges across the academia-industry and academia-government divides, and will deliver courses, conduct research, and perform other services valued by industry, the private sector, civil society, and government.
Each centre will establish a
partnership with at least one
university in the United States with
expertise in the technical focus of
the centre, and working
relationships with the business
community and government
agencies that relate to the technical
focus of each centre.
The Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) has distributed scholarships worth Rs 9.6 million among the students of Islamia University Bahawalpur.
Since 2008, 1,113 students of IUB have received Rs 132 million scholarships under this endowment fund.
Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channer, Provincial Minister for Cooperatives, was the chief guest on this occasion while Prof Dr. Qaiser Mushtaq, Vice Chancellor, presided over the event.
The Minister said that education is the top priority of the Punjab Government. The
PEEF Distributes Scholarships Worth Rs. 132 Million among IUB Students
PEEF was established as an educational friendly initiative in 2008 with Rs. 1 billion funding which is now Rs. 12 billion.
Prof. Dr. Qaiser Mushtaq said the university is benefitting from various educational schemes of both federal and provincial governments. Recently 2236 university
students received laptops under the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.
Similarly, Rs. 120 billion have been reimbursed to IUB MPhil and PhD scholars under Prime Minister Fee Reimbursement Programme. Mr. Usman Zafer, PEEF representative, also spoke on this occasion.
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As a part of the MoU signed with HEC, the Sukkur Institute of Business Administration [IBA] conducted Training of Entrepreneurs (ToE) for implementation of ILO’s Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) Programme. Three phases of SIYB: Generate Your Business Idea (GYB), Start Your Business (SYB) and Improve Your Business (IYB) were conducted recently at Sukkur IBA in coordination with the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Incubation, Marketing Society and Entrepreneurship Society of Sukkur IBA. These trainings were conducted under the MoU singed
Fostering Entrepreneurship Culture in Pakistan
Business Development Training Programme held at Sukkur IBA
between Sukkur IBA and Higher Education Commission to foster the entrepreneurship culture in Pakistan with core focus on women entrepreneurs. An extensive marketing campaign was launched a month before the launch of training programme.
Mr. Nabeel Nisar, Assistant Professor, Sukkur IBA led the ToE as a lead trainer in coordination with Mr. Fazli Subhan, Manager ORIC& Incubation, University of Malakand as co-trainer. As many as 62 students and entrepreneurs including 32 female students attended in the training workshops.
Workshop for NAEAC Programme Evaluators expertise in Quality Assurance and Accreditation with considerable international experience of institutional and programme review. Dr. Jianxin is the Board Member of Aisa-Pacific Quality Network (APQN); Adviser of the International Quality Group
(CIQG), USA; Director of the Research Sector of HERI in Yunnan University, China.
Based on provincial as well as institutional representation, 30 participants for the workshop were nominated for the training workshop.
A three-day training workshop was recently organized for Programme Evaluators of National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council (NAEAC) in Islamabad.
Prof. Dr. Jianxin Zhang was the resource person. She has
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NAEAC AICs Visit LUAWMS
An on-site visit of Accreditation Inspection Committees (AICs) of National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council (NAEAC) to degree programmes (BSc Hons) of Agronomy, Soil Sciences, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Entomology, and Horticulture Entomology at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) was carried out.
The on-site visit was commenced with an overview of the degree programmes as given by each Head of Department followed by an examination of the records and documents of course files, review reports, records of meetings, assessment instruments, admission and withdrawal policies, dropouts, average CGPAs, average intake
and yield index. An interaction was managed with each faculty member, while a meeting with the groups of undergraduate students was organized to obtain their views. A participatory SWOT analysis with all the faculty members and students was carried out.
Secretary NAEAC also organized an awareness seminar on quality assurance and accreditation of degree programmes. It was attended by the faculty members and was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the university.
The overall objective of external assessment and accreditation process is to improve the quality of higher education and enhance the capacity of institutions.
The Greenwich University organized a socio-cultural and educational tour to Japan recently students to help broaden their outlook and enhance their academic skills.
The students under the guidance of their faculty explored traditions and culture of Japanese society and also visited historical sites of the country.
Before visiting Japan, students organized a “Fashion Show on Japanese Culture – The Rising Sun” at Greenwich University Campus. The event was largely attended by students of the university, their families, executives of national and multinational companies, banks and government organizations. A book containing the research work done by the faculty and students on Japan and Pakistan was widely distributed in the corporate sector.
Greenwich University
Tour to Japan
A one-day seminar on Corruption and Its Impact on Socio-economic Development was held at Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, under the aegis of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Sukkur, and Character Building Society (CBS) Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur.
Prof. Dr. Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor, SALU, presided over the seminar. Mr. Muhammad Altaf Bawany, Director General, NAB, Sukkur was the chief guest on this occasion. The Vice Chancellor said corruption is a perpetual disease for a state development process and widely spread in the developing
Seminar Weighs Impacts of Corruption on Socio-Economic Uplift
countries, adding that its results have destroying effect for a state security. It undermines mutual confidence in the society, causes moral degradation of population and provokes immigration and illegal transfer of capital from the country.
This joint programme of SALU and NAB (Sukkur) is outcome of NAB and Higher Education Commission’s collaborative work for character building societies at universities level.
Mr. Muhammad Altaf Bawany said fighting against corruption is a collective social responsibility, as the NAB cannot fight war against corruption alone. The dream
of a corruption free society remains elusive unless the whole nation says “No to Corruption”. According to the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) report, the prosecution success ration of NAB is 70 per cent. He revealed that from September 30, 2014 the state recoveries are Rs. 260.956 billion.
Justice (R) Syed Ali Aslam Jafferi, a guest speaker, talked on “Role of Judiciary in Combating Corruption with reference to NAB Laws.” He elaborated that 1947 Act was established in the era of Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Governor General of Pakistan.
He said judiciary has interpreted laws, adding it is high time that proper investigation against corruption should be initiated.
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Dr. Maqsood Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), represented Pakistan in the IYCr Legacy Conference recently held in Rabat, Morocco.
The conference was entitled "Crystallography for the next generation: the legacy of the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr)". Dr.
IUB Faculty Member Represents Pakistan in IYCr Legacy Conference in Morocco
Maqsood Ahmed talked on “Crystallography in Pakistan: Current status and future prospectus”.
The conference was jointly organized by the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) and the Moroccan Crystallographic Association, under the auspices and with the support of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); ICSU ROA, International Council for Science -- Regional Office for Africa; TWAS, the World Academy of Science.
Mr. Saheeb Ahmed Kayani, Assistant Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of E&ME, National University of Sciences and Technology, has been granted a national patent in robotics by the patent office (IPO-Pakistan), Karachi.
The device invented by the faculty member is called ‘Mini Wheel for Mobile Robot’ and it is a miniature wheel system intended for use in direction control and navigation of wheeled mobile robot platforms. This device actuated by a stepper motor can be employed in a tricycle configuration to steer a mobile robot for precise navigation tasks. The hall mark of the device is its simple design, and quick assembly and adjustment with the actuator and robot chassis. Combinations
NUST Faculty Member Granted Robotics Patentof two or more of these mini wheels can also be used for fine-controlling of any other type of mobile robot movement in a structured environment.
Mr. Saheeb Ahmed Kayani is a graduate of NUST and he has published many research papers in the field of robotics and mechatronic system design and analysis. He has served on the editorial board of International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems and as invited reviewer for various international journals
thand conferences of repute. He was ranked 13 most productive scientist in the discipline of engineering sciences by the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology in 2013.
Therefore, he said the requirement for hostel accommodation is much more than any other university. He praised the generous donation of OGDCL and hoped that shortage of hostel accommodation will be tackled successfully with the completion of the new hostel. Mr. Zahid Mir, addressing the ceremony, said since its inception, OGDCL has always given top priority to the development of communities residing in and around the Company’s area of operations. “We support educational initiatives directed at our employees as well as the people and communities around us” said the MD. Deans of the Faculties, staff and senior faculty members attended the ceremony.
OGDCL-sponsored Girls Hostel Inaugurated at QAU
A hostel with the accommodation capacity of 300 students on the campus of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) was inaugurated by Mr. Zahid Mir Managing Director of Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL) and Dr. Javed Ashraf Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University.
The construction of the hostel was sponsored by OGDCL under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Javed Ashraf lauded the noble step of OGDCL and urged Corporate Sector of the country to come forward and support the premier institutions.
The Vice Chancellor said that QAU is a federally chartered university devoted to teaching and research. At QAU students are admitted from all over Pakistan according to regional quota but purely on merit.
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Hands-on Training Activity
The school is intended as a hands-on training activity that will provide an opportunity for physicists, engineers and computer scientists to access new technologies and gain the necessary skills for designing and developing complete high-performance systems for scientific applications at low cost.
The school practical sessions will be based on FPGA platforms, IDE software tools and VHDL hardware description language. It will also introduce modern hybrid system-on-chip devices that combine the software programmability of general purpose processors with the hardware reconfigurability of FPGA.
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP, Italy) and the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), will jointly organize the Asian Regional School on FPGA Design for Scientific Applications in MUET, Jamshoro, Pakistan,
th thfrom 7 to 18 December 2015.
Asian Regional School on FPGA Design in MUET
Dr. Sufiana Khatoon Malik successfully completed her post-doctorate. She was awarded a nine-month (From November, 2014- July, 2015) post-doctorate scholarship by the Government of France with
Dr. Safiana Completes Post-doctorate the collaboration of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. She did a research project on the topic of "Comparison of Reflective Practice among French and Pakistani University Practitioners".
She has published four research articles in international journals, presented a paper at international academic conference in Istanbul, Turkey, and participated in a conference at Marseille, France.
A conference was held on Innovative Financial Inclusion through Branchless Banking at the University of Peshawar. In the conference, experts said that 85 per cent of the total population of the country is not using the banking net as mode of transaction thereby causing unprecedented loss to the national exchequer. The one-day conference was jointly arranged by the Institute of Management Studies, UoP and State Bank of Pakistan.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rasul Jan, Vice Chancellor UoP, was the chief guest, whereas Qasim Nawaz, Managing Director State Bank of Pakistan, was the guest of honour and key note speaker of the ceremony. The speakers said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the place where branchless banking is flourishing the most and 40 percent of the total customers in this sector belong to this
Moot on Innovative Financial Inclusion
province. Pakistan has one of the most lowest financial levels in the world with 56 percent of the adult population totally excluded and another 32 percent informally served, said MD State Bank Qasim Nawaz in his address. He added State Bank as a regulator of the banking sector and promoter of economic growth was committed to reach to customers across the country and make them part of the bank net in order to achieve sustainable economic growth.
Branchless Banking Flourishing in KPK
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Mr. Faran Awais Butt, Assistant Professor at University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, along with Dr. Ijaz Naqvi from LUMS and Dr. Ali Imran Najam from NECOP have won a US patent on their
research related to ECCM technique, which nullifies the effect of jamming on ground-based radars and hence detects the true location of targets.
Electronic Counter - Counter Measure (ECCM) is the advanced radar technology aimed at thwarting the attempts to disturb the normal working of radar, usually referred to as Electronic Counter Measure (ECM). So ECCM technology overcomes or prevents the ECM technology.
Faran’s research is based on his MS thesis entitled “Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) of Radars” that he did in 2012 at LUMS under the supervision of Dr. Ijaz Naqvi and Dr. Ali Imran Najam from NECOP. Earlier, he had completed his BS in Electrical Engineering (Electronics and Communication) from UET Lahore in 2009.
The research introduces method to prevent jamming of radars, utilizing two radars located at a distance to prevent both velocity and range gate pull offs. In the proposed solution, bi-static radars are used in combination with the mono-static radars to mitigate the ECM effects of deception jamming.
In addition to working out solutions to counter effects of ECM, they have also been focusing on solutions which can counter the low observability of stealth target. Ever since he started his MS thesis, Faran has been involved in research of Electronic Warfare related stuff. He hasa number of publications related to Radar Electronic Warfare,which were presented in different conferences held at China, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine
UMT Asstt. Prof. Wins US Patent on Advanced Radar Technology
and Czech Republic. Last year, Faran and Dr. Ijaz got the honor of being the only authors from Pakistan, whose research paper was published in International Radar Symposium, which was held at Poland.
“I always wanted to do something for my country and when I studied Radars, I found that many other countries have been working on ECM of Radar systems, so being an Engineer and an Electronic Warfare enthusiast, I felt the need of some resolute research and development in this very field. To come up with desirable results, state of the art developments in the subject were studied and expertise of people working in this field were also gathered. I was highly determined to bring out something, which can make Pakistan stronger in Electronic Warfare of Radar Systems. In future, I intend to explore my research to new horizons and to bring more novel ideas, which can strengthen the defense of my beloved country.
The role of Dr. Ijaz and Dr. Ali Imran has been influential. Special thanks to HEC for sponsoring and supporting this patent” says Faran who as mentioned before has written a number of research papers published in different conferences of Radar systems worldwide and earned a name for Pakistan in this field.
A research paper based on this technique was published by Faran, Dr. Ijaz and Dr. Ali Imran in IEEE conference in 2012 so securing its patent was very important. Recently theirpaper entitled “A Novel Approach to Counter the Low Observable Characteristic of Stealthy Targets by Analyzing the Radar Cross Section” was accepted for presentation at 36th Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium held at Prague, Czech Republic from July 6-9, 2015. It gives a unique idea to counter the stealth aircrafts.
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Industry-academia Linkage
Riphah International University organized a one-day “Career Conference and Expo” recently, in which eminent speakers, trainers and mentors from the industry were invited to share their thoughts on “Industry-academia linkage”.
The event served as a milestone aimed to bridge the gap between the industry and academia. The event was well attended by more than 500 students from various universities across the country.
Industry professionals were invited to share their knowledge and experiences on the critical challenges faced in the current era with respect to career progression. This event also included a job fair in which a number of leading companies
Riphah Int'l University Organizes Career Conference, Expo
placed their hiring stalls and conducted on-spot interviews. With more than 20 employers under one roof, the 'Career Conference & Expo' provided the best opportunity to the university students to meet and network with employers.
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, was the chief guest on the occasion. In his speech he emphasized that our academic institutions should organize such activities in which the
students get a chance to listen to employers' point of view. The participating students were from Riphah International University, International Islamic University, Fatima Jinnah Women University, University of Sargodha, NUST, Quaid-e-Azam University, Bahria University, FAST-National University, COMSATS, MAJU, University of Lahore, NUML, Air University, Foundation University, University of Haripur, Iqra University and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University.
Dr. Muhammad Naveed has earned a degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Finance) from University Technology, Malaysia, and has also recently achieved the status of “HEC Approved Supervisor”. He had
been working as Manager Research and Development Division, Higher Education Commission.
The topic of his PhD research was “Effect of Internal and External Factors on Capital Structure of Pakistani listed Firms across Sectors. By employing dynamic framework, the study recognized the existence of capital structure
Scholar Completes PhD in Financedynamics of Pakistani firms, their speed of adjustment and factors affecting speed of adjustment across sectors.
Dr. Muhammad Naveed is serving at Faculty of Management Sciences, Riphah International University Islamabad. He has published research papers at world-renowned scholarly research forums such as Emerald, Scopus and Thomson Retours. He has presented his research studies at leading international conferences, workshops and symposiums, and also won “Best Presenter Award” at colloquium of International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Management and Technology (COMET, 2013) held at Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
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Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, Vice Chancellor, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, has stressed the need for making university diploma courses field-oriented with focus on “learning by doing”.
He said this while chairing a meeting arranged by the UVAS’s Institute of Continue Education and Extension (ICE&E) to revise the scheme of study of the two-year Livestock Assistant Diploma according to modern-day market needs.
He directed that the courses of the diploma should be based on practicality and the students must be trained on efficient and quality service delivery to the farming community on its doorsteps. He said that courses should be updated keeping in view the market needs with focus on corporate dairy
UVAS Revises Scheme of Livestock Assistant
Diploma Study
farming, mechanization, vaccination, vaccine handling, etc. He said that the university has made no increase in students’ fee keeping in view their financial hardships.
The meeting participants held an open discussion on the existing scheme of study of the diploma course and made various suggestions. Some new courses were added while some of the existing courses practical work was given high weight and substance, reducing the theory portion.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdullah, Director ICE&E; Prof. Dr. Khushi Muhammad, Dean; Prof. Dr Aneela Zameer Durrani, Dr. Tayyab Muneer, Prof. Dr. Sher Muhammad, Prof. Dr. Mian Abdus Sattar and officials from the L&DD Department Punjab and private organizations attended the meeting.
The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, in collaboration with the Agriculture Sector Linkages Programme (ASLP), arranged a two-day extension workers training workshop for veterinary officers from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, Vice Chancellor UVAS, chaired the concluding session and distributed certificates among the participants.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor said that such types of training bring competency in their professionals work. He said that UVAS is actively working for the benefit of small farmers, especially to help them increase their profitability by improving the milk marketing strategy.
Balochistan, KP extension
workers trained at
UVAS
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32
NEWS & NEWS & VIEWSVIEWS
Congratulations University, Under HEC Microsoft Education Alliance Agreement, you have
successfully subscribed to Office 365 ProPlus for your faculty and staff.
Office 365 deployment was kicked off in the first week of September. The willingness of
Universities to adopt O365 can be seen by the fact that till date, more than 30,000 of the
faculty data from over 60 universities has already been shared with HEC
Office when and where you need itInstall Office on your PC or Mac, on tablets and smartphones for when you're on the go, and on
the web with Office Online for everywhere in between.
Work together with OfficeCreate polished documents with the full Office applications you know and trust, save them to the
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With Office 365 ProPlus, you can:•
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Office, so you don't have to interrupt your users' work.
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the next time a user closes and re-opens the Office application, it is up to date.
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Have Office up and running fast—often in under two minutes.
Office 365 ProPlus F O R FA C U LT Y M E M B E R S A N D U N I V E R S I T Y S TA F F
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1 TB of personal storage to save their work on the
cloud, your faculty/staff will be able to access their
documents wherever they are, whenever they
want, across all devices. To subscribe and learn
how you can give your faculty/staff the best
chance to get to the top with Office 365,
please contact our focal persons:
Ali Hafeez
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan
Landline: +92 51 90402225
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Sheikh Muhammad Rizwan
Microsoft, Pakistan
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