Punjab Higher Education Minister, Syed Raza Ali Gillani, said that a comprehensive reforms programme is underway to develop the higher education sector, according to the needs of the 21st century so that the country could progress through human resource development.
While presiding over a meeting at the office of Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) today, he said, for this purpose, research-based activities are being encouraged fully, and the teachers are provided capacity building opportunities. Chairman Dr M Nizam-ud-Din, representatives of the higher education department and a four-member team of British Council attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the prospects of reforms in collaboration with the British Council. The meeting was told that the British Council was collaborating with the HED for achieving the goals of different projects, including chief minister’s roadmap programme, faculty development programme and Lahore Knowledge Park. It noted that consummate human development was the basis of national development, and the higher education institutions played a key role in developing students as youth leaders.
Gillani informed the meeting that a teachers training plan had been devised by the government to improve the capacity of teachers, and noted that curriculum development was equally important. He said that ‘Shehbaz Sharif Merit Scholarship’ had been launched with Rs400 million, adding that Rs200 million were provided for domestic and foreign training of teachers. He said that all the boards of intermediate and secondary education in the Punjab have been automated.
The community colleges programme had been launched in four selected colleges, he added. Similarly, 138 colleges were being established in different districts with an amount of Rs2,147 million, he said. These steps would help to improve the quality standards, he said, adding that Lahore Knowledge Park project would help to proportionate the higher education with the international needs of the 21st century.
Dr Nizam-ud-Din highlighted the role of PHEC in the improvement of higher education in the province, and proposed that an international task force should be established to elevate the higher education sector.
