Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that education in general and higher education in particular has been a priority of the Pakistan People’s Party since its inception.
Kaira was addressing at MOU Signing Ceremony between Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences and National Testing Service Pakistan & Reception in the honour of the delegates of 2nd International Social Sciences Conference on “The Emerging Issues of Social Science in Pakistan” held at Islamabad Club Islamabad. He added that the first PPP government, led by its founding Chairman Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, established the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1974 as a federal body realising the importance of higher education for a developing country like Pakistan. Many of the top universities in the country were established especially in remote regions of the country to equip the young people with modern knowledge and technology. He also appreciated the MOU signed between member institutions of inter university consortium for promotion of social sciences and National Testing Service Pakistan and hoped that through this MOU, assessment and examination system will be improved in Pakistan especially in the disciplines of social sciences, arts and humanities and will be instrumental in bringing Pakistan‘s education system at par with the international standards.
Lauding the efforts of higher education commission Pakistan, he added that a culture of seminars and conferences encompassing various current socio-economic challenges faced by the country, will augment the situation. He also urged the social scientists to play their pivotal role to promote the values of peace, tolerance, harmony, pluralism and culture of dialogue. To guide the government regarding the people’s needs and aspirations should be the focus of the social scientists, the Federal Minister added.
He also termed the country s’ first ever inter university consortium for promotion of social sciences, arts and humanities as a remarkable initiative, that has been recently established by eight leading higher education institutions of the country under the facilitation of Higher Education Commission Pakistan. “Inter-university collaboration bring the higher educational institutions closer to one another for a constructive cause while availing each other’s resources and expertise”, he added.
Earlier Executive Director HEC, Prof Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi said that realizing the importance of social sciences for the socio-economic development of the country and reformation of the society, HEC has paid special attention to strengthening the social sciences through a number of new programs; establishing the Committee for Development of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities in Pakistan (CDSSHP); initiating thematic research grant in social sciences; allocating special quota to the social sciences in human resource development programs; strengthening institutional capacity through improving existing facilities in social science departments of universities and maintaining close interaction with R & D and civil society organizations working in the field of social sciences. The recent establishment of inter university consortium for promotion of social sciences is another glowing example of HEC‘s commitment to promotion of social sciences.
