Over 20,000 degree programmes of various universities across Pakistan have been listed, till date, in the Pakistan Qualification Register (PQR).
It is an online database which contains list of approved degree programmes of HEC recognised public and private sector universities including their sub campuses and affiliated as well as constituent colleges, a press release Friday said.
PQR is aimed to provide clearly defined levels of knowledge, skills and competencies to be acquired by every graduate. The register has been linked to various HEC programmes and initiatives including attestation of degrees, local and overseas scholarships, appointment of HEC approved supervisors, award of national research grants, thematic research grants for social sciences, etc.
Though majority of universities have been completing the process proactively, however some universities whose response is slow are being advised to enter their degree programmes in PQR at the earliest so as to streamline above-mentioned processes.
HEC started developing a Qualification Framework (PQF) for higher education sector in 2009 and took necessary steps to develop tools for implementing the framework covering all HEC chartered public and private higher education institutions in the country.
PQF is a level-based and outcomes focused mechanism. It sets out the levels on which a qualification can be recognised in Pakistan. It encompasses a comprehensive list of all quality assured qualifications in Pakistan. Each accredited qualification has been assigned a level. It consists of Entry Level-1 to Level-8, describing the difficulty of qualifications at each level.
PQF has been structured to help learners to make informed decisions about the qualification required, and will help employers to assess what qualification a candidate has achieved.
It will help in establishing the national standards of qualifications as well as provide a basis for comparison of qualifications at national as well as international levels.
Further, it will help in international recognition of academic qualifications, facilitate trans-national mobility of graduates and learners, in addition to be used as an instrument for qualitative reforms in education system.