Higher Education Commission - Pakistan

July-August 2019

VCs Committee Urges Government to Revisit Cut in Higher Education Budget

st1 Professional Development Programme for Faculty Members at NAHE

HEC Observes Kashmir Solidarity Hour

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Asi@Connect Project Launched

HEC, Vice Chancellors Discuss Implementation of Associate DegreeHEC, Vice Chancellors Discuss Implementation of Associate Degree

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contentNews & Views (July-August 2019)

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News & Views is published after every

two months. No part of this publication

may be reproduced in any form without

prior written permission of the publisher.

The views expressed by authors in the articles are their sole responsibility and not of HEC. The Commission would like to thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed information and photographs for this Magazine.

Graphic Designer Raja Ahmad Nadeem

Reporter Syed Muhammad Ittifaq

EditorAayesha Ikram

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Chairman HEC Urges Researchers to Focus on Providing Solutions to National Problems

Higher Education Commission, Pakistan

HEC, Vice Chancellors Discuss

Implementation of Associate Degree

Chairman HEC Meets VCs of Private

Universities

Asi@Connect Project Launched

High Commissioner Designate to

Singapore Calls on Chairman HEC

HEC, Huawei Impart Training on

Smart University Technologies

st1 Professional Development

Programme for Faculty Members at

NAHE

NAHE holds Workshop on

Developing Law Curriculum in

Pakistan

HEC, PIEAS Award Participants of Int’l

Science Olympiads 2018

Mufti Muneeb and Chairman HEC

Discuss Equivalence of Deeni Asnaad

HEC Observes Kashmir Solidarity

Hour

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The objective of phasing out

two-year BA/ BSc degree

programme, replacing it with

Associate Degree and

subsequent alignment with the

four-year BS programme, is to

ensure that students pass out

after acquiring a broad-based

education and have practical

skills to contribute for socio-

economic development in the

country.

This was stated by Dr. Tariq

Banuri, Chairman, Higher

Education Commission (HEC)

while addressing a special

consultative session on the

launch of Associate Degree

with the Vice Chancellors and

Rectors, recently held at HEC

Secretariat. A number of

university heads joined the

session through video

conferencing.

Dr. Banuri said that a well

thought-out and carefully

examined notification has been

issued on July 11, 2019, in the

wake of 17 years of

consultation, to phase out two

year BA/BSc and MA/MSc

programmes.

The new nomenclature,

Associate Degree, shall be

adopted in all documents and

announcements related to

two-year post-higher

secondary or equivalent

programmes and the previous

nomenclature of BA/BSc

programmes shall be

discontinued.

Phasing out 2-year BA/BSc & MA/MSc Programmes

HEC, Vice Chancellors Discuss Implementation of Associate Degree

The Chairman said that quality

has long been a burning issue

and HEC has expedited its

efforts to ensure quality at all

levels of higher education. “We

need to ask ourselves as to

what are the competencies

required in our degree holders

and how these competencies

can be developed.”

In light of this decision, he

said, the students admitted in

2018 will get degrees in 2020

and their degrees will be

considered valid, while the

admissions after 2018 will be

awarded the Associate Degree.

The Chairman made it clear

that the Universities are

allowed to gradually move

from the current programme

offerings to fulfillment of new

requirements.

He explained that the

Universities and affiliated

colleges may make step-by-

step progress towards the

goal. “By the end of 2020, we

must be in a position to make

the transition smoothly. HEC

will be in close coordination

with universities to identify and

overcome all possible

challenges for this transition.”

The Vice Chancellors expressed

a number of concerns with

regard to implementation of

the decision, especially with

regard to private students,

distance education, capacity

building of college teachers,

curriculum, bridging courses

and infrastructure.

Dr. Banuri assured the Vice

Chancellors that all the details

will be worked out over the

next 12 months in consultation

with Vice Chancellors as well as

other higher education

departments, technical boards,

and faculty members.

The Chairman said that

currently distance education

programmes have been

endorsed for only two

universities. However, other

universities have submitted

proposals to restart distance

education. He said HEC will

work with the universities in

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order to build capacity of

faculty and equipping them to

meet requirements of the new

system. “Funds are being

mobilised to provide faculty

with practical training

opportunities.”

On the occasion, Dr. Zulfiqar

Gillani, Curriculum Expert in

HEC said that consultative

sessions were held across the

country before issuance of the

last notification regarding

transition to the four-year and

Associate Degree programmes.

He said HEC is in process of

developing guidelines and

policies with respect to

implementation of the

decision. “The two-year

curriculum will be very closely

aligned to four-year curriculum

structure,” he assured.

He said no change is being

made in enrolment process, as

students will be enrolled for

Associate Degree programme.

The Vice Chancellors

appreciated the efforts of HEC

for looking into the education

and skill requirements of

youth. “Such interventions are

important in terms of

upgradation of structure and

response to the prevailing

market needs.”

In view of difficulties faced by

the private sector universities

mainly of governance nature, a

consultative meeting was

recently held at the Higher

Education Commission (HEC)

Islamabad under the

chairmanship of Dr. Tariq

Banuri, Chairman HEC, which

was attended by a group of

Vice Chancellors and Rectors

of private sector Higher

Education Institutes (HEIs).

The purpose of the meeting

was to discuss and explore

avenues of strengthening HEIs’

capacity through streamlining

of their financial management.

The participants also discussed

at length potential solutions to

Chairman HEC Meets VCs of Private Universities

a range of other issues

including, statutory

requirements, land

requirement, faculty

requirement, affiliated colleges

and sub-campuses, media

alerts and business model.

The Chairman HEC apprised

the participants of the

inspection calendar developed

by the Quality Assurance

Agency (QAA) so that

universities are in a better

position to meet the minimum

HEC standards well in time.

Dr. Banuri was also

sympathetic about the matter

of issuing parental alerts and

he requested the participants

to help HEC develop protocols

of issuing media alerts.

During the meeting, the

Chairman HEC also shared

concerns of quality of

education and sustainability of

the HEIs in long-term

perspective.

The Chairman further stressed

on the need to identify

possible solutions of these

problems without

compromising the core goals

of access, quality, and

relevance and the protection

of students’ rights for which

services of a third party such as

a consultative firm may also be

taken where required.

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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) recently

held a ceremony to launch the Asi@Connect

Project in collaboration with the European Union

and Trans Eurasia Information Network*

Cooperation Centre (TEIN*CC).

The project is aimed at bridging the digital

divide across Asia Pacific by developing a

dedicated regional high capacity Trans Eurasia

Information Network for research and higher

education, and leveraging the e-infrastructure

developed for public service projects.

Asi@Connect provides dedicated high-capacity

internet connectivity for research and education

communities across Asia-Pacific, operating at

speeds of up to 10 Gbps, which currently

interconnects universities and research centres in

23 countries across the region.

It also connects 50 million European researchers

and academics served by GÉANT network (Pan

European Data Network for R&E Community)

and supports collaborative programmes in areas

such as earth observation, disaster warning,

climate research, food security, delivery of e-

health and e-learning.

Pakistan’s involvement in the collaboration will

encompass work on High Energy Physics,

Internet Access, E-culture, Cyber Performance,

Telemedicine, Intelligent Medical Services,

Software Defined Network, Open Flow of

Connecting Asia and Europe's Research and Education Communities

Asi@Connect Project LaunchedOF@TEIN, Eduroam, Edugain, and Computer

Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)

development in Asia.

The ceremony was graced by Mr. Jean-Francois

Cautain, Ambassador of European Union to

Pakistan as chief guest and Ms. Wajiha Akram,

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Federal

Education and Professional Training as guest of

honour. Dr. Tariq Banuri, Chairman HEC, Lt. Gen.

(Retd.) Muhammad Asghar, Executive Director

HEC, Mr. Yong Hwan Chung, President TEIN*CC

and a large number of professionals and

academicians were also present on the occasion.

In his address, Mr. Cautain said the launch of

Asi@Connect in Pakistan will help bridge the

digital divide across Asia Pacific and will cast a

positive impact on efforts to strengthen

connectivity for research and higher education in

the region. He said the EU follows certain

principles to make strong connectivity between

Asia and Europe productive and result-oriented.

“The principles cover sustainability, transparency,

and equal access to all stakeholders,” he

elaborated.

He hoped that the Asi@Connect Project will

enhance people-to-people contacts in addition

to remarkable results in the form of research

linkages among scholars across Asia and Europe.

He expressed his pleasure that the project, under ndits 2 Call for Proposals, has worked on “Campus

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Network Design and Security” by Pakistan

Education and Research Network (PERN) and

“Connecting the Unconnected – Internet for

Underserved Rural Schools” by Balochistan

University of Information Technology.

Ms. Wajiha Akram congratulated HEC, especially

the PERN team, on launch of Asi@Connect

Project. She hoped that HEC will keep playing its

role in collaborative engagements with entities

like TEIN*CC.

She also shed light on

the significance and

scope of partnership

with Asi@Connect. She

said the Government is

committed to

development of ICT in

Pakistan. “Despite

financial constraints, I

strongly believe that the

Pakistani nation is

resilient and will bounce

back to glory,” she

stated.

Dr. Banuri underlined

that the globally

connected world has brought about great

opportunities which could not be dreamt of in

the past. Highlighting HEC’s initiatives for

improved connectivity, he said that HEC has

invested highly in ICT and enhanced connectivity.

“PERN has made it possible to have 24-hour

connectivity for education and research

purposes,” he said adding that the Digital Library

project provides researchers with online access

to research database.

The Chairman stressed the need for accelerating

work on software side so as to consolidate the

use of advanced infrastructure developed by

PERN. “We are looking forward to universities to

work in this regard.” He added that 200 colleges

will soon be brought into the fold of PERN.

Mr. Chung said the launch of Asi@Connect in

Pakistan will help

Pakistan’s education

community and

researchers find new

avenues and means to

connect with researchers

from across Asia and

Europe. “The advanced

technologies and

researches through the

project will ultimately

contribute to prosperity

of the entire Asia Pacific

and Europe,” he hoped.

Mr. Patch Lee, Senior

Manager TEIN*CC shared

a presentation on the salient features of

Asi@Connect Project and Pakistan’s role in it.

The ceremony was also addressed by Mr. Francis

Lee, Advisory Board Chairman, TEIN*CC and Ms.

Helga Spitaler, Senior International Engagement

Office, GÉANT, a Pan European Data Network for

R&E Community.

Asi@Connect provides dedicated high-capacity internet connectivity for research and education

communities across Asia-Pacific, operating at speeds of up to 10

Gbps, which currently interconnects universities and

research centres in 23 countries across the region.

The HEC Smart University project is proceeding

well ahead of its schedule and within its

approved budget. It is one of the fastest

executed programmes in the Asia Pacific region.

The project was approved in 2015, at a total cost

of Rs. 2.4 billion. Work on the project started in

Smart University Programme2016, and is scheduled to be completed in eight

years, i.e. 2024.

The aim of the project is to equip university

campuses with blanket WiFi coverage, in order to

enable the deployment of other smart

instruments as needed. The project has provided

An Overview

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a suite of important services to

thousands of students and

faculty members across the

country. This includes blanket

wifi coverage, student

authentication, guest WiFi

portals for visitors, and

eduroam (a secure, world-wide

roaming access service

available in thousands of

locations across over 100

countries worldwide).

Due to the overwhelming

positive response from

universities, the scope of

coverage was expanded to

include hostels as well. This

was done before the launch of

Phase-I, and with the consent of all stakeholders including a high

level steering committee comprised of Vice Chancellors and higher

management of HEC.

So far, a total of 63 universities have been facilitated with blanket

Wi-Fi connectivity. This has been done with the fulfilment of all

legal, codal, and procedural formalities for contracts and

payments.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) accords

great importance to engagement with the global

community for academic activities so as to

strengthen country’s higher education sector.

This was stated by Dr. Tariq Banuri, Chairman

HEC while talking to Ms. Rukhsana Afzaal,

Pakistan’s High Commissioner-designate to

Singapore who called on him at the Commission

Secretariat, to discuss possible avenues of

collaboration of both countries in higher

education, research and to foster linkages for

science diplomacy. The meeting was also

attended by Dr. Fateh Marri, Member Operations

and Planning and Mr. Muhammad Raza Chohan,

Director General Academics.

Dr. Banuri said that Singapore has the best

education system in the region, and a number of

areas may be explored for cooperation in higher

education sector for example faculty exchange

for short-term and long-term duration,

placement of post-doctoral fellows funded by

HEC, tuition fee waiver for Pakistani students,

matching grants for joint proposals, academic

and research linkages between universities, etc.

High Commissioner Designate to Singapore Calls on Chairman HEC

The Chairman however stressed that all those

initiatives should be targeted, which are long-

term and are based on a strategic plan.

“Education is a global agenda for most of the

countries. Though Singapore has a specific

strategy for collaborations but areas of common

interest may also be explored. Archaeology is

one example where Pakistan has a lot to offer for

historians and researchers,” he said.

Ms. Rukhsana shared that some students from a

Singaporean University produced a short

documentary on the walled city of Lahore a few

years ago. “It was a wonderful production that

won award in Berlin Festival and another Dutch

award. One of these students was from Pakistan.

So definitely the areas of common interest need

to be targeted.”

Dr. Marri put forward the idea of split and joint

degree programmes, adding that various models

are available and the specific modalities may be

worked out. He also stressed the need for

identifying common priorities, giving an example

from past when a team from Singapore was

mobilised for CPEC related initiatives.

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The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and

Huawei Technologies Pakistan recently organised

a one-week training for Huawei Certified

Network Associate (Wi-Fi), under the ongoing

Smart and Safe Campus programme of HEC. Dr.

Fateh Marri, Member, Operations and Planning,

HEC was chief guest in the closing ceremony

held at the Commission Secretariat.

The training was aimed to equip the university

workforce with latest technologies involved in

the Smart and Safe Campus programme. It will

not only increase their efficiency in performing

relevant tasks at respective universities, but they

will also be able to receive international

certification of Network Professional upon

passing professional examination.

Over 15 participants from different universities

across Pakistan attended the week-long training.

Huawei Technologies invited expert resource

persons to deliver technical training to these

participants.

Smart and Safe Campus programme is a part of

HEC’s flagship Smart University Programme

(SUP), which was launched in 2016 with the

objective to equip universities across Pakistan

with advanced Wi-Fi and enabling users to freely

access internet indoors as well as outdoor in

University campuses and provide 24/7

connectivity between students and the faculty.

HEC, Huawei Impart Training on Smart University Technologies

The purpose is to achieve delivery of maximum

data rate to every user along with multiple

services (Blanket Wi-Fi Coverage, Eduroam,

Student Authentication, Guest Portal, URL

Tracking and Logging etc). Additionally,

monitoring systems have also been deployed,

which would allow the institutions to access,

monitor and manage their respective wireless

networks.

The Programme is of highly complex and of

technical nature which involves passive and

active work, site surveys, constructions of Auto

CAD maps, Wi-Fi Planning through Heat Maps,

Extensive Coordination among the Universities.

Keeping in view the project magnitude and

complexity, such a programme has never been

executed in such a large geographical area with

such rapid deployment speed facing serious

budget constraints.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Dr. Fateh

Marri emphasised that technology is the

backbone for any country’s education sector, and

that constant improvement such as broadening

of Smart Classroom Project and other such

initiatives are crucial need of the time.

The participants also appreciated the quality of

training and emphasised that the training has

increased their capability to manage complex

networks in a much efficient manner.

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The Higher Education

Commission (HEC) has

awarded 52 Pakistani

researchers and scholars for

their outstanding work in the

spheres of research, innovation

and publication during a thceremony of 7 HEC

Outstanding Research Awards

recently held at HEC

Secretariat.

Dr. Tariq Banuri, Chairman HEC

was chief guest on the

occasion, while Dr. Anwar-ul-

Hassan Gillani, Vice Chancellor

University of Haripur was the

guest of honour. The

ceremony was also attended

by Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad

Asghar, Executive Director

HEC, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai,

Rector International Islamic

University and Chairman of

HEC’s Research Awards

Management Committee, Dr.

Zain ul Abdin, Director General

(R&D) HEC and a number of

Vice Chancellors, academicians

and faculty members.

Outstanding Research Awards

programme is an initiative to

recognise and celebrate the

th7 HEC Outstanding Research Awards

Chairman HEC Urges Researchers to Focus on Providing Solutions to National Problems

achievements of Pakistani

researchers and scholars in

research, innovation and

publications. The awards are

aimed to acknowledge the

extraordinary contribution of

Pakistani faculty and

researchers and promote a

competitive research culture in

higher education and R&D

institutions.

Previously, 213 awards were

conferred in six award

ceremonies since 2009. The

awards are given in four

categories i.e. Best Research

Paper, Best Young Research

Scholar, Best Innovator, and

Best Book.

Dr. Yasinzai informed the

gathering that as many as 490

applications were received for

the four categories, out of

which 52 were selected for

these awards. He said that 37

scholars won Best Research

Paper Award, eight won the

Best Young Research Scholar

Award, one scholar clinched

the Best Innovator Award while

six authors bagged the Best

Book Award.

Addressing the audience, Dr.

Banuri congratulated the

award winners and wished

them good luck in their future

endeavours. Quoting Maulana

Rumi as saying “the best of

Ameers (rulers) is the one who

is always at the door of

scholars” he stressed that the

nature of work of a researcher

is in fact the real reward of

his/her efforts.

He said HEC is trying to make

the higher education system

move away from obsession

with papers and certificates to

obsession with substance. He

said that researchers and

scholars should focus on

substance of their work, as

they are the brains of this

country.

The Chairman identified that

Pakistan is confronted with a

plethora of problems,

including energy crisis, water

scarcity, housing shortfall, and

terrorism.

He urged the researchers to

come up with solutions to

these challenges through their

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research. He underlined that

HEC has introduced a number

of programmes oriented to

finding out solution to national

problems.

He said that the National

Challenge Fund is being

launched through which a

consortia of universities will be

able to conduct research on

national challenges. Similarly,

he added, the Local Challenge

Fund has also been designed

wherein a university will

concentrate on solving

problems lying unresolved in

its vicinity or neighborhood.

Dr. Banuri further said that

HEC’s Technology

Development Fund is aimed at

enhancing collaboration

between academia and

industry to increase

productivity, export and

employment. He said that

Pakistan has tremendous

potential to flourish its various

sectors including livestock,

cotton and textile. This is a

matter of concern, he

regretted, that Pakistan is one

of the biggest cotton

producing countries and its

cotton export is less than that

of many other countries. He

emphasised that academia

must assist the textile and

other sectors to grow and pave

the way for national prosperity.

In his remarks, Dr. Gillani said

the process of selecting

researchers and scholars for

Outstanding Research Awards

is highly credible, as

international and scientific

standards are followed to

ensure its credibility. “I feel

honoured to have worked with

HEC. We are lucky to have

leaders like Dr. Banuri and Lt.

Gen. (R) Asghar who have

extensive academic and

administrative experience.”

A six-week skills based faculty professional

development programme for newly appointed

faculty members concluded under the auspices

of the National Academy of Higher Education

(NAHE), Islamabad.

Twenty-six newly inducted faculty members

from various Higher Education Institutions

(HEIs) from across Pakistan attended the

programme. Dr. Steven Burian was lead

resource person from University of Utah, USA.

Keeping in view the need to have an all-round

performance by faculty members, the

programme provided an immersive experience

to transfer essential knowledge, skills and

attitudes in three different themes, including

Teaching and Learning; Research and University

Governance; and Leadership.

st1 Professional Development Programme for Faculty Members at NAHE

The participants were provided an opportunity

to get hands-on training and informative

sessions on topics of Basic Teaching and

Learning, Lesson Planning, Microteaching,

Course Designing, Student-centered Learning,

Technology-inbuilt Learning, Research Design,

Analysing Research Results, Writing Winning

Research Proposals, Managing a Research Team,

Disseminating Research, Research and Aligning

Impact, Convergent Research Class,

Community-based Research, Entrepreneurship

and Commercialisation, HEIs Governance, HEI

Advancement, Communication, Building a

Network, Self-Governance, Mentoring and

Incorporating Leadership Qualities.

Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Asghar, Executive

Director HEC, was chief guest in the opening

ceremony whereas Dr. Fateh Muhammad Mari,

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Member (Operations and Planning) HEC was

chief guest in the certificate distribution

ceremony whereas Dr. Zulfiqar Gilani Consultant

HEC, Mr. Fida Hussain, Director General,

Learning Innovation HEC, and Mr. Ghulam Nabi,

Director, Learning Innovation HEC were also

present in the opening ceremony.

Addressing the audience, the Executive Director

HEC appreciated the efforts of NAHE for

organising the workshop. He said that learning

is a continuous journey that never ends and

there should be no satiation in seeking

knowledge. He emphasised that education is a

combination of knowledge (Ilm) and courtesy

(Adab). While knowledge relates to the

intellectual capacity, courtesy focuses on

character building.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Fida Hussain

welcomed the participants and thanked the

universities for allowing their faculty members

to participate in the workshop. He said that

NAHE has been established as an apex

institution for professional development of

teachers and university leaders in the country.

Dr. Steve Burian said that skills are key to

professional development of teachers. “A

teacher cannot be effective without having

teaching-learning skills. This workshop will

equip new faculty members with strategies and

tools to overcome the challenges of learners

and develop in students the critical thinking and

practical skills.”

Dr. Zulfiqar Gilani advised the participants to

benefit from this opportunity as NAHE had

hired services of renowned national and

international resource persons. “The

programme will emphasise principles and

practices of effective teaching and research as

core capacities of a faculty member.”

While addressing the concluding ceremony, Dr.

Marri said that the programme has provided a

foundation and development plan for new

faculty members to be involved and grow

towards leadership in academic governance. Dr.

Marri emphasised on the important role of

teachers as mentors, adding that this training

would serve as a catalyst and help them further

build their competencies.

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A two-day extensive dialogue cum capacity

building workshop on Developing Law

Curriculum in Pakistan was recently organised at

the National Academy of Higher Education

(NAHE) Islamabad. The workshop was conducted

in collaboration with the Warwick Law School,

University of Warwick, United Kingdom.

Following decision of the Supreme Court of

Pakistan in August 2018, HEC has initiated

revamping and re-writing of the Law Curriculum.

This workshop is an initiative in this direction. An

important aspect of this initiative is to

simultaneously provide opportunities for those

tasked with delivery of the curriculum to be

exposed to teaching and learning approaches in

jurisdiction beyond Pakistan.

Dr. Shaheen Sardar Ali, Professor of Law at

Warwick Law School was resource person for the

workshop. Sixteen faculty members from five

universities of twin cities having Law

Departments, including Federal Urdu University,

Quaid-e-Azam University, Bahria University,

International Islamic University, Fatima Jinnah

NAHE holds Workshop on Developing Law Curriculum in Pakistan

Women University and a special representative

from Pakistan Bar Council, Islamabad attended

the workshop.

The core content of the workshop included how

to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and

understanding, how to demonstrate ability to

work effectively in groups, taking account of

expressed opinions and dealing with them

effectively, work with sensitivity; how to

demonstrate an advanced ability to deliver

effective oral presentation skills; how to critically

evaluate the emerging jurisprudence and the

ability to critically analyse and understand legal,

economic, social and political materials.

Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Asghar, Executive

Director HEC assured all possible support and

facilitation from HEC to uplift the standards of

curriculum and to nurture research culture in the

faculty of Law. Terming Law as a valuable subject

of Social Sciences, he said that HEC will take care

of every requirement of the curriculum as per

recommendations of the workshop and to equip

the relevant faculty with modern tools.

The National Computing

Education Accreditation

Council (NCEAC) recently held th 27 Meeting of Accreditation

Standard Committee (ASC) as ndwell as 32 General Council

Meeting at Higher Education

Commission Secretariat.

Dr. M. Ayub Alvi, Chairman

NCEAC presided over the

meetings while Dr. Shoaib A.

Khan, Vice Chairman, NCEAC,

ASC Committee Members and

General Council Members

attended the Meetings.

NCEAC holds Accreditation Standard Committee Meeting

A report on 56 evaluated

programmes was presented

along with recommendations thof 27 Meeting of ASC.

All recommendations of the

ASC about award of category

and batches of the computing

programmes inspected by

Programme Evaluators were

approved by the General

Council.

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The Vice Chancellors’

Committee has urged the

Government to revisit its

decision regarding budgetary

cut, especially the recurring

budget of higher education

sector and announce a

supplementary grant for

universities.

A meeting of the Committee

was held at the Higher

Education Commission (HEC)

Islamabad to discuss the

challenges arising out of the

budgetary cuts for higher

education sector.

The Vice Chancellors

expressed solidarity with the

people of Indian-occupied

Kashmir in the wake of Indian

Government’s presidential

order stripping disputed

Kashmir of its special status.

“This is a blatant violation of

the Kashmiris’ right to self-

determination and entirely

against the United Nations

resolutions. This is a serious

breach of Kashmiris rights, and

the Indian Government is

highly condemned for its

brutal and unjust assimilation

of the valley.”

The Vice Chancellors said that

the allocation for higher

education is not an expense,

but an investment in the future

of our youth, and that it has

become impossible for

universities to sustain their

operations and quality of

education after 10 per cent cut

VCs Committee Urges Government to Revisit Cut in Higher Education Budget

in higher education sector’s

funding.

The meeting stressed that in

the light of HEC’s vision, the

universities are working to

increase their own resources

through different measures

including fund generation,

entrepreneurial activities, and

launch of new programmes as

well as addressing issues

leading to financial

mismanagement.

However, there was a

consensus that it has

practically become hard for

universities to cope with the

financial crisis caused by

recent cut in the recurring

grant.

It was emphasised that

universities are even facing

hardship in payment of salaries

to faculty and staff. Financial

resources are the blood

needed for sustainable and

quality higher education

system.

The budgetary cut has

exposed the universities to

severe quality issues, due to

which students will suffer.

In his remarks, Dr. Tariq Banuri,

Chairman HEC said that the

Commission fully supports the

stance of Vice Chancellors

regarding budgetary cuts.

He said that the Government is

well aware of the importance

of investment in higher

education. “There is no lack of

sympathy in the Government

with regards to financial

hardships facing the sector,”

he said, adding that HEC’s

position on funding is very

clear and it has been conveyed

to the authorities concerned.

He elaborated that the higher

education sector spends only

Rs. 150,000 to 200,000 on a

student per year and, on

average, the Government

provides only Rs. 50,000. “This

is a very low figure as

compared to the spending of

all other countries of the world

on a student per year. No

other country is providing

education of this quality at

such a low cost.”

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He said that the financial crisis

has created a gap of Rs. 70

billion for the sector, as dollar

rate has risen and salaries of

Government employees have

been raised up to 10 per cent.

The Chairman stressed the

need for measures to improve

efficiency in utilisation of

funds, cut unnecessary

expenditures, and raise

universities’ own funds. He

advised the universities to

devise a plan to ensure

efficiency and control

unnecessary expenses.

Dr. Muhammad Ali, Chair of

VCs Committee, urged the

Government to revisit cut in

the recurring grant of higher

education sector and

announce a supplementary

grant for universities to

overcome the crisis. “We have

a genuine demand and we

want a small chunk of the

entire volume of budget to

meet our requirement.”

Unanimously adopting a

resolution, the Vice

Chancellors’ Committee urged

the Government to revisit cut

in recurring budget of the

higher education sector. It

underscored that the higher

education sector funding was

growing reasonably over the

last five years, but the recent

reduction has caused a great

setback to the sector amidst

high inflation and devaluation

of currency. This has created a

situation where universities

may sharply slide down to

bankruptcy, in addition to

degradation of quality of

education and research.

The Committee strongly

emphasised that without

additional financial support,

universities would not be able

to finance the salary,

operational and research

expenditures. Furthermore,

universities do not support fee

raise unless the Government

choose it over restoration of

higher education sector’s

recurring grant.

The Vice Chancellors urged

the Government to take steps

for consolidating the existing

universities, stopping

establishment of new

universities and sub-

campuses, and diverting funds

earmarked for knowledge

economy for utilisation by

higher education institutions.

They also advocated

mobilising the support of

Provincial Governments to

share recurring cost of the

provincially chartered

universities. Considering the

unprecedented financial

squeeze, the Committee

agreed to focus on improving

efficiency, cost cutting and

reducing unnecessary

expenses, including but not

limited to reduction in

electricity and fuel expenses,

conservation of water, paper

and consumables, improving

faculty-to-non-faculty ratio,

business process re-

engineering, and better use of

technology.

It also agreed to equally focus

on broadening the university

resource base and better

management of university

funds, organising fund raising

activities across the country in

December 2019 and holding

convocations, alumni events

and donor meetings, and

generating funds through use

of laboratories, contracted

research, and consultancies.

The meeting was chaired by

Dr. Muhammad Ali, Chair of

VCs Committee and attended

by Chairman, Executive

Director and other staff of

HEC as well as 84 Vice

Chancellors and Rectors of

public sector universities

across the country.

STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics)

Careers Programme, a joint

venture of the Higher

Education Commission (HEC)

HEC, PIEAS Award Participants of Int’l Science Olympiads 2018

and Pakistan Institute of

Engineering and Applied

Sciences (PIEAS), recently held

an award distribution

ceremony to honour 12

talented Pakistani students

who represented Pakistan in

International Science

Olympiads in July 2018.

Pakistani students won one

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Bronze Medal, three

Honourable Mentions, and one

Merit Certificate in

International Chemistry

Olympiads, International

Mathematics Olympiads, and

International Biology

Olympiads held in Romania,

Iran, and Czech and Slovak

Republic respectively. Cash

prizes and certificates were

distributed among the

students.

So far, Pakistani teams have

won 109 medals including four

Silver Medals, 57 Bronze

Medals, 45 Honourable

Mentions and one Merit

Certificate along with two

special prizes in the annual

International Science

Olympiads held in different

countries across the world.

The award distribution

ceremony was graced by Dr.

Qasim Jan, President, Pakistan,

Academy of Sciences as chief

guest. Dr. Nasir Majeed Mirza,

Rector PIEAS and a large

number of students were

present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr.

Jan appreciated the students

for their aptitude and hard

work. “As President of Pakistan

Academy of Sciences, I

congratulate you all who

represented Pakistan,

especially those who have won

medals in the international

competition, on behalf of all

the scientists of Pakistan.”

Highlighting the significance of

STEM subjects, he said STEM

education is intended to

enhance competencies of

students and enable them to

get opportunities of acquiring

up-to-date knowledge.

He said that resource-based

economies have turned into

knowledge-based economies

owing to development and

progress in science and

technology. He stressed the

need for meeting the true

objectives of promoting STEM

in the country.

Earlier, Dr. Mirza shed light on

the background and

importance of STEM Careers

Programme. He said the

participation of Pakistani

students in competitions like

International Science

Olympiads not only enhances

their capabilities and

confidence, but also adds

value to the efforts for

promotion of STEM education

in the country. Every year a

nationwide screening test is

conducted through National

Science Talent Contest (NSTC)

in the major cities of Pakistan

for the selection of students of th th stMatric (9 , 10 and 1 year)

and O-Level/A-Level-I.

Out of more than 6000

students, top 50 students in

Physics, Chemistry, Biology and

Mathematics are shortlisted for

the first training camp, which

continues up to four camps of

a one-week duration in

different phases.

In the concluding camp, top

four-to-six students from each

subject are given extensive

training for their possible

participation in International

Science .

The STEM home institutions

for training camps are:

COMSATS University, Lahore

for Mathematics, Pakistan

Institute of Engineering &

Applied Sciences (PIEAS)

Islamabad, for Physics, HEJ

Research Institute, University of

Karachi for Chemistry and

National Institute of

Biotechnology and Genetic

Engineering (NIBGE) Faisalabad

for Biology.

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A delegation comprising

representatives of different

boards of deeni madaaris, led

by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman,

President, Tanzeemul Madaris

Ahle Sunnat recently called on

Dr. Tariq Banuri, Chairman

Higher Education Commission

(HEC) at the HEC Secretariat.

Other delegates included

Maulana Haneef Jallandhry,

Maulana Abdul Malik, Dr. Atta-

ur-Rahman and Allama Afzal

Haidri. The meeting discussed

the implications, for madrassah

graduates, of the closure of

two-year BA/BSc and MA/MSc

programmes.

Mufti Muneeb and Chairman HEC Discuss Equivalence of Deeni Asnaad

At present, HEC treats

Shahadatul Alia fil Uloomal

Arabia Wal Islamia and

Shahadatul Almiya fil Uloomal

Arabia Wal Islamia as

equivalent to BA and MA,

respectively.

However, HEC has now

discontinued the certification

of BA and MA degrees.

Instead, a new four-year BS

degree as well as a two-year

Associate Degree has been

introduced. The objective of

the change is to ensure that

graduates from Pakistani

universities possess three types

of competencies, namely

general education, subject

specialisation, and practical

skills for participating

effectively in the economy.

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman

appreciated HEC for

strengthening the graduate

programme and making

much-needed changes.

He said that the

representatives of the

madrassahs were fully

supportive of the central role

of HEC in strengthening higher

education, especially after the th18 Amendment.

The Chairman HEC appreciated

the delegates for anticipating

future changes, and agreed to

set up a joint committee with

the representatives of

madaaris to assess how the

equivalence system could be

adapted to the changes.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC),

SoyPak, Pvt. Ltd., Punjab Fish Farm and Lahore

College for Women University, Lahore have

joined hands to resolve problems of Aquaculture

industry of Pakistan including less production per

unit area, wastage of water, challenged water

quality and risk to natural resources by

introducing In-Pond Raceway System (IPRS), an

innovative technology in Southern Punjab

through Technology Development Fund (TDF).

rdAmong 78 projects approved in 3 Call of TDF, it

is the only project in discipline of Aquaculture. stThe 1 IPRS commercial and research

Academia, Industry Join Hands to Resolve Aquaculture Industry Problems

demonstration site in Pakistan has recently been

established in Haveli Koranga, District Khanewal.

Dr. Shafaq Fatima from Department of Zoology

(Aquaculture), Lahore College for Women

University, Lahore is the Principal Investigator of

the project along with Dr. Farkhanda Manzoor as

Co-Principal Investigator.

Senator Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan, Member,

Senate Standing Committee of Textile and

Commerce was chief guest during the inaugural

ceremony of IPRS. He hoped that farmers will

adopt this innovative technology.

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The graduation ceremony for

the first batch of Pakistani

students of Transportation

Engineering was recently held

at the College of

Transportation, Southeast

University, (SEU) China under

the auspices of China Road

and Bridge Corporation (CRBC)

Scholarship Programme.

The Higher Education

Commission (HEC), Pakistan

and CRBC had inked a

Document of Understanding

for Masters in Transportation

Engineering for Pakistani

students in 2017. It is the first

postgraduate level plan in

transportation sector for

countries along the Belt and

Road Initiative.

st 1 Batch of Transportation Engineers Complete MS Studies

Mr. Ye Chengyin, Deputy

General Manager, CRBC, Mr.

Ren Lijian, Vice Principal, SEU

and other distinguished guests

attended the ceremony

wherein 10 Pakistani students

were awarded the certificates.

Currently, the second batch of

29 Pakistani students is also

studying in SEU while the third

batch of another 21 students

would depart in September

2019 for studying in China.

Mr. Chengyin said that CRBC

will try to be a pacesetter in

infrastructure connectivity as

well as contributor in

enhancing people-to-people

ties. CRBC started cooperation

with HEC and SEU, initiating

the programme “Inherit Pak-

China Friendship, Hundred

Talents Study Financing

Programme” which will fully

fund 100 people including in-

service staff members for

higher education in China.

The Higher Education

Commission (HEC) Pakistan,

under the directives of Prime

Minister Imran Khan, observed

Kashmir Solidarity Hour to

express unity with the people

of Occupied Kashmir, who are

living in curfew for over four

weeks and are victims of Indian

atrocities, oppression and

injustice for over 70 years.

The whole Pakistani nation

observed Kashmir Solidarity

Hour to send a strong

message of unity and support

to the Kashmiri brothers and

sisters. HEC and the academic

fraternity also stands firmly in

supporting Kashmiris’ right to

self determination as well as

HEC Observes Kashmir Solidarity Hour

their struggle for freedom

from illegal Indian oocupation.

During the Kashmir Solidarity

Hour, national anthems of

Pakistan and Kashmir were

played followed by live telecast

of Prime Minister’s speech to

the nation. At HEC, the

ceremony was attended by Dr.

Tariq Banuri, Chairman HEC, Lt.

Gen. (R) Muhammad Asghar,

Executive Director HEC,

Members of the Commission,

prominently Ms. Shahnaz

Wazir Ali, Dr. Shams Qasim

Lakha as well as HEC Member

Operations, Dr. Fateh Marri,

divisional heads and all other

employees.

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“Against the backdrop of a

feeble financial performance of

global emerging markets,

Pakistan’s economic

challenges call for dynamic

structural reforms, feasible

macroeconomic policies and

functional trade linkages.

Finding practical solutions to

these challenges is an urgent

national enquiry that demands

visionary and comprehensive

answers.”

Dr. Arif Alvi, President, Islamic

Republic of Pakistan made

these remarks at the National

Seminar on “Economic Insight

– The Way Forward,” recently

held under the auspices of

NUST Institute of Policy

Studies (NIPS) at University’s

main campus.

National Seminar on Economic Insight - The Way Forward

In his address, the President

underscored importance of

health, education and socio-

economic equality for national

development. “Pakistan needs

to identify opportunities and

design a roadmap for

enhancing its economic

stature at a swift pace and

stabilise its economy through

revitalising agricultural,

industrial, and services

sectors.”

The main theme was centred

on appraising various

dimensions of Pakistan’s

macroeconomic sector and

prospects for the country’s

trade in the region, especially

with India; measuring

strengths and weaknesses of

economic policies; and

generating some fresh

thoughts and workable ideas

through an inclusive discourse

by the experts and other

notable participants.

Expert presentations on

“Pakistan’s Macroeconomic

Challenges – The Way

Forward” and “Pakistan’s Trade

Relations with India” were

delivered by Dr. Ashfaque

Hasan Khan, DG NIPS and Dr.

Salman Shah, Adviser to the

Chief Minister of Punjab on

Economic Affairs and Planning,

respectively. Ensuing was an

interactive and in-depth

analysis of macroeconomic

challenges and trade relations

with India in two roundtables

that comprised distinguished

experts and professionals.

Internship Programme for Int’l Students Concludes at NUST

A total of 51 foreign interns

from 26 countries attended the

internship, including those

from International Association

for the Exchange of Students

for Technical Experience

(IAESTE) and Association for

International Exchange of

Students in Economics and

Commerce (AIESEC).

These students hail from

The closing ceremony of the

NUST Internship Programme

for International Students

(NIPIS ’19) was recently held at

University’s main campus in

Islamabad.

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Austria, China, Egypt, France,

Poland, Turkey and 20 other

countries. The students from

universities of many countries

avail internships on reciprocal

basis every year under IAESTE

and AIESEC.

The aim of these internship

programmes is to provide a

high-quality experience across

many domains to international

students, by not only

reinforcing their academic and

professional learning, but also

giving them a taste of Pakistani

culture, values and life.

The interns were given

internships at NUST’s

constituent Schools and

Colleges in the fields of

Accounting, Architecture and

Design, Business

Administration, Economics,

Engineering, Environment and

Sustainability, Human

Resource Management,

Marketing, Biotechnology,

Psychology, Physics, Chemistry,

Transportation and

Geographical Information

System.

Moreover, during their stay at

NUST, these students visited

notable industries. They were

also taken to tourist locations

in Islamabad, Taxila and Lahore

to give them exposure to

Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage

and natural beauty.

sharing, collaborate on

postgraduate and professional

trainings, joint degree

programmes and share

academic information and

materials.

Dr. Tayyaba Zarif hoped that

the move would benefit

students and faculty members

of both the universities.

She said that in order to

combat challenges of

contemporary age, it is

necessary to work together

and learn from each other’s

experiences.

SBBU Sheringal, UoB Sign Accord for Academic Exchange

A Memorandum of

Understanding was recently

signed by Dr. Tayyaba Zarif,

Vice Chancellor, Shaheed

Benazir Bhutto University

(SBBU), Sheringal and Dr. Javed

Iqbal, Vice Chancellor,

University of Balochistan (UoB),

Quetta.

Under its terms, the two

universities have agreed to

exchange students, faculty,

academic and educational

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The team comprising three Pakistani students

Armughan Sarwar, Abdullah Humayun, and

Muhammad Waseem from University of

Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore have

created an advanced Tele-robotics system that

could expand the use of robotics technology in

local industries. The students build the system as

part of their final year project.

The robots make repetitive tasks much easier but

if the system requires any changes, modifying

the patterns is a hard job and requires specialist

services. It comprises a robotic manipulator, a

virtual reality headset, a machine vision system

and a processing unit.

Mr. Ahsan Naeem, Project Supervisor said that

the concept of tele-presence is used to train

UET Students Build Tele-robotic System

physical robots through a virtual robot. The

intention is to interact with the robot in a virtual

environment through a controller.

The movement of the handheld controller is

captured through motion capture system. The

real physical robot will pursue the same path as

of the virtual robot, he informed.

Engineering and Technology

(UET) Lahore, was invited as

resource person.

The workshop was exclusively

designed for research

students, scholars and

professionals from various

disciplines including business

management, social sciences

and natural sciences and was

attended by participants from

different universities while

representatives from national

and multinational corporations

IoBM Workshop on Qualitative Researchand the Government of Sindh

were also present.

Dr. Lodhi informed the

participants that this workshop

is designed to equip the

participants with modern tips,

tools and techniques used for

gathering, analysing and using

data through qualitative

research.

In-Pond Raceway System

(IPRS) is a fish culture

technology developed to

increase production efficiency

and yield.

Few years back, this

technology was developed by

Auburn University, USA and in

recent past years Chines

Aquaculture Industry adopted

this IPRS technology with

support of Chinese

Government.

The Office of Research

Innovation and

Commercialisation (ORIC),

Institute of Business

Management (IoBM) Karachi

recently hosted a two-day

workshop on Qualitative

Research Methodology and

Data Analysis using NVivo at

the Entrepreneurship and

Management Excellence

Centre (EMEC), IoBM.

Dr. Rab Nawaz Lodhi, a faculty

member at the University of

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The National Defence

University (NDU) Islamabad

organised a convocation

ceremony for civil services and

military officers from Pakistan

and 42 other countries who

attended the National Security

and War Course.

Dr. Arif Alvi, President, Islamic

Republic of Pakistan was chief

guest on the occasion. The

course was focused to enable

the participants to

comprehend interplay of all

Convocation for NDU’s National Security and War Course

elements of national power

within the construct of

‘Comprehensive National

Security’.

Addressing the ceremony, he

Annual National Harmony Workshop was

recently held at the National Defence University

(NDU), Islamabad. The purpose was to enhance

national harmony and integration among

Pakistani Youth and increase awareness about

various challenges being faced by Pakistan,

inculcate sense of ownership among the

academic community of all the federating units

regarding national issues and challenges.

Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Federal

NDU holds Annual National Harmony Workshop

Education and Professional Training inaugurated

the workshop. He highlighted the importance of

enhancing national harmony and integration

among Pakistani Youth.

Many renowned intellectuals, scholars, experts,

analysts and policy formulators were guest

speakers of the workshop. Academic community,

scholars, students, researchers and community

representatives from various universities of the

country were invited to attend the workshop.

appreciated the University’s

role in preparing the future

civil-military leadership,

keeping in view the prevailing

as well as emerging challenges

to the national security.

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The Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC), Ziauddin

University, Karachi recently organised a seminar

on Use of Feedback received through Various

Surveys. The event was attended by members of

QECs from 10 universities of Karachi and Lahore

and QEC Coordinators from all constituent

colleges and faculties of Ziauddin University.

Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor

traced the history of initiation of Quality

Assurance activities in higher education sector in

Seminar on Surveys Feedback Pakistan. Dr. Arshia, Director QEC gave a brief

presentation discussing about the importance of

use of Surveys as research tools.

Ms. Ambreen Asif Qureshi, Director QEC,

Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education provided

a comprehensive view of the factors influencing

the effectiveness and reliability of surveys and

emphasised on the incorporation of feedback

results in implementation plans and then

reporting the outcome.

The NED University of Engineering and

Technology, Karachi recently held a ceremony to

formally launch an urban forest being developed

in the campus. The project has been initiated in

collaboration with the Institution of Engineers,

Pakistan (IEP), Karachi Centre, involving students

of Urban Engineering.

Ninety fruit trees of 14 different species,

including mulberry, java plum, almond, sapodilla,

curry leaf, sugar apple, tamarind, common fig,

Development of Urban Forest at NED University

Indian jujube and pomegranate have been

grown over a patch of 300 square feet.

The patch, according to Dr. Atif Mustafa,

Associate Professor, Department of

Environmental Engineering has been scientifically

developed with soil preparation with the help of

materials such as rice husk, rice straws, natural

fertilizer and sweet earth. Such forests do not

require external maintenance and become self-

sustaining after two years, he added.

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The water experts have

emphasised on controlling

population growth and

effective implementation of

laws related to water and

efficient use of water to avoid

scarcity and issues related to it.

This was discussed during a

dialogue session on Water

Trends, Challenges and

Sustainable Strategy for its

Security, recently held at US-

Pakistan Centre for Advanced

Studies in Water (USPCAS-W),

Mehran University of

Engineering and Technology

(MUET), Jamshoro.

MUET Session on Water Trends, Challenges and Sustainable Strategy

The session was held in

collaboration with the

Government of Sindh, Asia

Foundation, Australian

Government, Water

Environment Forum and

Hashoo Foundation.

Addressing the session, Mr.

Nisar A. Memon, Chairman,

Water Environment Forum said

that once Indus was a mighty

river but now it’s no more the

same, the problem is of

management because we have

7250 glaciers melting to

provide water but there is no

mechanism to manage them.

Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili,

Vice Chancellor, MUET said

that the main problem lies in

implementation of laws,

policies and improved water

governance. “Every individual

has to fulfill his or her

responsibility in conserving

and managing the water

resources”, he added.

Mr. Farid Alam, Director

Programmes, Asia Foundation

said that Pakistan is amongst

36 most water scarce countries

and experts have indicated

that the country will run out of

water by 2025.

of UVAS and University of the

Punjab in Pakistan and Purdue

University, USA to develop new

technologies that will

collectively replace the use of

antibiotics in Pakistan’s poultry

production.

The research team joins Dr.

Paul Ebner, Professor, Animal

Sciences, Purdue University,

Nicole Widmar, Professor,

Agricultural Economics, Purdue

University and Dr. Shafiqur

Rehman, University of the

Punjab to reduce risk that

antimicrobial resistance in

poultry poses to health and

UVAS to Develop Alternatives to Antibiotics Used in Poultry Production

food security. The project

would reduce reliance on

antibiotics in Pakistan’s poultry

industry and support transition

to alternatives that enhance

poultry health and efficiency

without posing any risk to

public health.

The platforms will be designed

and implemented to

encourage the rapid

development of bacteriophage

and nutraceutical-based

antibiotic alternatives and a

framework will be defined to

promote these technologies

for commercial use.

The University of Veterinary

and Animal Sciences (UVAS),

Lahore has recently won an

international collaborative

funding worth 2.8 million

Canadian dollars from

International Development

Research Centre (IDRC),

Canada under the Innovative

Veterinary Solutions for

Antimicrobial Resistance

(InnoVet-AMR) programme.

The InnoVet-AMR is a

partnership between the IDRC

and the UK government’s

Global AMR Innovation Fund.

This project is a collaboration

Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, Vice

Chancellor, University of

Veterinary and Animal

Sciences, (UVAS) Lahore and

Dr. Asghar Ali, Executive

Director, Association for Biorisk

Management (ABM) Pakistan

signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) to

implement Pakistan Bio-risk

Management Programme

activities through mutual

UVAS signs MoU with ABM to Strengthen Biosafety & Biosecurity Practices

coordination of stakeholders

and to control zoonotic

pathogens in a ceremony held

at City Campus Lahore. Under

the agreement biosafety and

biosecurity practices will be

strengthened in UVAS and its

sub-campuses.

Speaking on the occasion, the

Vice Chancellor said that it is

need of the hour to work on

biosafety and biosecurity

practices.

According to MoU, ABM will

provide technical support to

the laboratories of UVAS and

its sub-campuses on a regular

basis regarding biosafety and

biosecurity.

The association will assist in

constituting a biosafety

committee for regular review

of biosafety and biosecurity

status in the laboratories and

the laboratories would be

strengthened through

provision of essential

laboratory equipment and

reagents. It would also provide

biosafety kits to the training

participants.

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The Centre for Innovation and

Entrepreneurship (CIE) working

under Office of Research,

Innovation and

Commercialisation (ORIC) at

Isra University, Hyderabad

recently organised the Grand

Finale of Business Plan

Competition 2019.

The objective of organising the

competition was to brainstorm

investment ideas that may

contribute in economic growth

Isra University holds Business Plan Competition 2019

A Business and Incubation

Centre has been established at

Isra University Hyderabad,

having seven incubators.

The induction of seven

incubators has taken place in

two rounds where 15 teams of

different universities presented

their ideas.

The selected business ventures

are: Healthy Tiffin, aimed to

and development of Pakistan.

It was a national level contest

to inspire innovative

entrepreneurship ideas for

venture funding and business

growth. After excessive rounds

of shortlisting, 17 out of 59

teams were shortlisted who

presented their ideas in the

final round.

The first prize was won by the

team of Mehran University of

Science and Technology

Business & Incubation Centre Establishedprovide healthy and organic

food to fuse health with

pleasure; 24/7 Appointment

System, the proposed project

is a mobile based application

that works as a smart

appointment booking system

to provide users an easy way

of booking a subscriber’s

appointment online; Max Care

Home Health is subject to

initiate concept of health care

services at homes in

(MUET), Jamshoro entitled as

Turning The Textile Trash into

Cash. The team of Hyderabad

Institute of Arts, Science and

Technology (HiAST) entitled as

Digital Point-Service won the

second prize while team of Isra

University, Hyderabad entitled

as Herbario Blendz finished

third.

The consolation award went to

University of Sindh, Jamshoro

entitled as Biogas Company.

Hyderabad; Emotion

Recognition aims to provide

service of recognising

emotions of people through

video call; Tourflix aims to

provide domestic tourism

services; Sindhi OCR using

Multidimensional Interactive

Learning (SOMIL) is all about

converting printed Sindhi

language into editable format

and translating into English

language.

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23

The experts of a consultative

session on Food Trends,

Challenges and Sustainable

Strategies under Changing

Climate stressed the need of

coordinated efforts to address

effectively multi-centric issues

of water, energy and food

security nexus in contrary to

the growing population and

depleting water and

environmental resources. The

UAF Consultative Session on Food Trends, Challenges & Sustainable Strategies

event was held at the

University of Agriculture,

Faisalabad (UAF) in

collaboration with the Water

Environmental Forum, Hashoo

Foundation and Asia

Foundation.

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Vice

Chancellor UAF told the

audience that China is growing

maize in deserts with lesser

amount of rainwater so we

need to make such

experiments to grow wheat in

such conditions.

He was of the view that

implementation on the

regulations is a paramount

concern that we are facing in

this country.

He maintained that water

conservation in arid areas is

another frontier to be explored

as during rainy season water

needs to be stored at farm

level by digging ponds with

plastic surface so that stored

water may not suffer seepage

and can be used during dry

days.

Painting Exhibition at UAF

Dr. Zafar Iqbal Randhawa, Pro Vice Chancellor,

UAF inaugurated the exhibition.

He said that art works create tolerance and

highlights sensitive as well as beautified sections

of culture, natural resources, touchy issues,

sufferings, and cherished movements of life.

A one-day painting exhibition of Ms. Ponnam

Rana, a student at the University of Agriculture

Faisalabad (UAF) was put on display in the

University auditorium.

As many as 50 paintings shedding light on

culture and beauty of Pakistan were displayed.

24

July

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NEWS & VIEWS

Any other university/institution which is not listed among HEC recognised universities or campuses available at our website will not be considered a recognised institution.

In the larger interest of general public and in view of the forthcoming admission season, students and their parents are advised to verify legal status of the university/institution or its campus from the above-mentioned links.

Students are advised NOT to take admissions in those institutions which are not listed among HEC recognised universities/institutions/campuses given on HEC website.

Degrees obtained from non-recognised institutions/campuses will not be recognised.

NOTE

Students and parents are cautioned not to get admission in the universities/DAIs wherein admissions are banned due to various irregularities as mentioned on HEC website.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognises degrees of chartered universities/institutions from public and private sector in Pakistan along with their approved campuses as mentioned at following website links.

List of Recognised Universities/Institutions

hec.gov.pk/site/HEIs

List of Recognised Campuses of Public and Private Sector Institutions

hec.gov.pk/site/recognizedcampuses

List of Illegal/Fake Institutions

hec.gov.pk/site/Illegal-DAIs

@HECPakistan2002 @hecpkofficialwww.hec.gov.pk