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.
July-A
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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.
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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
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