–150 research scholars received travel grants from PHEC in 2017 to present papers in int’l conferences
–22 students were sent abroad on fully-funded scholarships last year
LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin said Tuesday that the commission has made significant progress in 2017 towards improving the quality of higher education and research in the province.
“In a short span of time, PHEC has achieved big milestones with limited resources. So far, PHEC has held four commission meetings and we are progressing steadily by following the guidelines of our commission. We established various initiatives for public and private sector colleges and universities and for students who want to pursue more skills-based and market-oriented education,” said the PHEC chairperson, while chairing a meeting of senior officers at PHEC Secretariat in the provincial capital.
According to PHEC data, in 2017, the commission established foreign and indigenous training and scholarship programmes for the staff and faculty of over 700 public colleges and universities of Punjab. A rigorous accreditation system to ensure quality standards for private sector colleges and universities was also established by PHEC.
Dr Nizamuddin said that less than 10 per cent of the population had access to higher education in the country. “This is very low when we compare it to neighbouring counties like India, Iran, China and Turkey,” he said.
Furthermore, addressing the demand from students for career counseling and skills-based education, PHEC had launched Career Counseling Centres in four public sector colleges, and the Community Colleges model in four colleges by providing two-year associate degrees (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree) in textile designing, information technology, media studies and accounting and finance.
Responding to the dire need of enhancing the effectiveness of teaching and learning in the country, PHEC established the Faculty Development Academy, the first of its `kind’ in Punjab, where more than 400 faculty members from public sector colleges and universities have already been trained in academics, administration, and finance related areas.
In addition, PHEC organised training for newly inducted college teachers in each division of the province and tailored training sessions for vice chancellors and directors of student affairs. PHEC also initiated several international and national scholarship programmes in 2017, including post-doctoral fellowships and split PhD scholarships. “We are sending our faculty to the best destinations in the world to provide them exposure and experience and equip them with the best learning opportunities in their field,” Dr Nizamuddin said.
Speaking in relation to the importance of research, Dr Nizamuddin said, “A rich research culture has been an important contributing factor in the development of knowledge-based economies of advanced countries.” In 2017, PHEC introduced thematic research grants for post-doctoral fellowships, awarding 150 travel grants to scholars of provincially chartered universities to present their research work at international conferences.
“These initiatives are intended to not only build the capacity of academic staff to conduct research but to promote a much-needed culture of research amongst faculty and students,” he added. “In 2017 alone, PHEC funded 30 national and international conferences, sent 22 students abroad on fully-funded scholarships, and signed two memorandums of understanding with local universities for split PhD scholarships, he informed.
“There is an urgent need to increase equitable access to skill-based education across the country. In Punjab, we are collaborating with partners such as Technical Education and Vocational Authority (TEVTA) to establish new universities to address this demand, such as the Punjab Tianjin University of Technology in Lahore. We are also scaling up the Community College model of two-year associate degree programmes in technical market-related fields to colleges and universities across Punjab. Our aim is to bridge the gap between industry and academia, through the skills of graduates by providing them with the best education that meets the demands of the modern local industry,” he added.
Speaking on the issue of illegal campuses and unapproved programmes, Dr Nizamuddin said that PHEC and Higher Education Department were working jointly to regulate and streamline the illegal campuses and degree programmes of universities in line with the policies of the provincial government.
In this regard, parent alerts were advertised and universities were issued notices informing them of accreditation requirements. “We are determined to protect students from investing time and money in such illegal and unregulated programmes,” he warned.
