Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Javaid R Laghari has said the greatest challenge to higher education is limited outreach to people in remote areas and financial support for students who cannot afford higher studies. He said this while addressing a meeting with Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, deans, chairpersons and other faculty members at the Al-Raazi Hall of Undergraduate Study Centre. Senator Jahangir Badar, who had come for his PhD class, also attended the meeting.
The HEC chairman said the Punjab University, which was the heartland of education in Pakistan, was also contributing to global knowledge. He added that in 2008, the ratio of higher education in Pakistan stood at 2.5 percent, but following HEC initiatives in recent years, it had reached 7.8 percent in 2011, while the government envisioned increasing the figure another 15 percent by 2020. He said it was unfortunate that Pakistan was lagging behind other Muslim countries in education.
