| HEDP holds its Third Steering Committee Meeting | HEDP holds its Third Steering Committee Meeting | <p style="text-align:justify;"><img src="/english/news/news/PublishingImages/Press-Release-Pictures/Picture.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;" /><br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Islamabad- May 1, 2021: The Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project held its third Steering Committee (SC) meeting at HEC office Islamabad. Presided by the Executive Director HEC, Dr. Shaista Sohail, the meeting was attended by key SC members from all provinces. The committee consists of senior officials from key federal ministries and provincial departments of higher education, Vice Chancellors of universities from across Pakistan, and industrial representative. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">HEDP is a five-year project (2019/20 – 2023/24) being implemented by HEC to expand upon its key higher education priorities. It aims to support research excellence in strategic sectors of the economy, improve teaching and learning, and strengthen governance in higher education. The project comprises of five key components which include improving and expanding research grants, roll out of the new undergraduate education policy, extending Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN) to universities and affiliated colleges, Higher Education Management Information Systems and Data Repository, and establishment/strengthening of National Academy of Higher Education – NAHE.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Project Coordinator, Ms. Maryam Riaz gave an overview of the project, its restructuring and future plans. The restructuring focuses on the changes necessary due to the circumstances higher education faces due to COVID. Extensive use of latest technology in higher education is a key element of restructuring. The new technology initiatives include state of the art Learning Management System to help improve the quality of online learning and make it accessible even in the remote areas of Pakistan. Blockchain technology will be implemented to ease the process of degree verification and attention thus saving the students money and time it takes to get degrees attested. It will help address and eradicate the issue of fake degrees. Latest Enterprise Resource Planning system including Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence will be deployed at HEC to improve the efficiencies of the organization. A central data warehouse linked to a powerful Business Intelligence platform will provide reports and insights to senior decision makers in higher education thus supporting evidence based policy and planning. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The research grants offered under the HEDP project during year 2020 covered sectors where there is a dire need of research to find practical solutions to issues Pakistan faces. For example, a grant award under Grand Challenge fund was awarded to a research proposal in Food Security sector, and will focus on making vaccines for animals to save their lives from ticks. Another grant focuses on finding solution to locust issue and to save crops from locust attack. Rapid Research Grants covered issues related to COVID. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Participants also discussed the new undergraduate education policy which has been rolled out nation-wide. Dr. Syed Zulfiqar Gilani informed the SC of the new distance and online learning policy and distance/online quality assurance framework. HEC has implemented its own MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses) which will be soon opened to faculty members across Pakistan and they will be able to use it for developing their own courses. Rector NAHE, Dr. Shaheen Sardar briefed the members on the faculty and HEC employees' trainings conducted over last six months. NAHE also focused on training teachers on how to deliver courses online and use online learning management systems. NAHE is moving towards self-reliance and has generated significant funds through conducting some specialized trainings. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">HEC provides internet and WIFI services to faculty and staff. This network has further expanded to remote universities and affiliated colleges. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Committee members were informed that despite the hurdles faced due to COVID the project is still on track and a successful World Bank mission has recently concluded.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">SC appreciated the efforts of HEDP team and offered their support and cooperation to resolve any challenges faced by project team. The committee members expressed their interest to be more involved with the project and have frequent meetings. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from the Executive Director (HEC).</p><p style="text-align:justify;">===============</p> | 01-05-2021 19:47:20 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/HEDP-SC-Meeting.aspx |
| HEC, University Heads Agree on Providing Provisional Admission to A2 Students | HEC, University Heads Agree on Providing Provisional Admission to A2 Students |
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;">Islamabad, April 30, 2021: The Higher Education Commission
(HEC), Pakistan after consultations with the Covid-19 Oversight Committee
representing Vice Chancellor from each province and region, and heads of a few
private sector universities have agreed to provide provisional admission to A2
students, whose exams have been postponed to October 2021, in the Fall 2021
semester so that they would not waste a session. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;">On the direction of the Federal Minister for Education Mr.
Shafqat Mehmood to ensure that the students of A2, whose Cambridge exams were
being postponed due to Covid do not lose a session, a virtual consultative
meeting was held on Friday to address the reservations expressed by students
and parents in wake of the Government’s decision to put off examinations till
June 15 due to surge in the third wave of COVID-19 in the country. In this
backdrop, HEC and universities have decided to provide provisional admissions
to A2 students in the fall Semester 2021 as and when it begins in order to
avoid wastage of their time. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;">Addressing the meeting, Executive Director HEC Dr. Shaista
Sohail said, “we want to assure the parents and students that HEC, and the universities
are committed to ensure student-centric approach without compromising the
interest of universities and teaching and learning quality”. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;">It is worth mentioning here that the Government, after a
special meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) over the
prevailing COVID-19 situation, decided that no examination would take place in
the country until June 15 amid a surge in coronavirus cases and casualties.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#1f497d;">===============</span></p> | 30-04-2021 11:41:08 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/Provisional-Admissions.aspx |
| Senior Women in Higher Education Come Together for a Virtual Workshop | Senior Women in Higher Education Come Together for a Virtual Workshop | <div style="text-align:justify;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Islamabad, April 7, 2021: As
many as 22 women Vice Chancellors, Provosts, Executive Directors and Deans from
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Pakistan logged in to participate
in a workshop entitled “Collaboration for Excellence – Women Leadership in the
Higher Education Sector” organized by the National Academy of Higher Education
(NAHE). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">All participants had one goal
in mind – to work together and find a way to enable women in leadership roles
in universities as well as those on the cusp of leadership positions.
Participants from all four provinces and Islamabad were part of this
groundbreaking conversation chaired by Dr. Shaheen Sardar Ali, Rector NAHE. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Reflecting on personal and
professional experiences, women at the forefront of higher education in
Pakistan talked through challenges confronted in their professional life, how
they overcame them and opportunities that helped them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Dr. Rukhsana Kausar, Vice
Chancellor, Government College Women University (GCWU) Sialkot touched upon the
unique challenges of women working without support structures and financial
cushions in place. Dr. Farhat Haq, Provost, Lahore University of Management
Sciences (LUMS) spoke about the edge that Pakistani women hold in the shape of
strength and resilience.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Dr. Saima Hamid, Vice
Chancellor, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) reiterated how women leaders
in higher education have had to fight to be heard and to have their
contributions seen. Dr. Parveen Munshi, Vice Chancellor, University of Sufism
and Modern Sciences spoke of the administrative and financial competencies that
need to be learned on the job, because most institutions lack preparatory
capacity building opportunities. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Dr Tashmin Khamis, Vice
Provost, Aga Khan University (AKU) touched a chord with all participants when
she spoke of the further justifications women have to give when making changes
or suggestions and the constant ‘guilt’ trip women employees find themselves
taking. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Themes that became clear
through the course of the discussion and which will form part of the ‘Women
leadership Program’, included women’s perception of self, social structures
that may work for or against women, the need for networking and reiterating
ideas, and the crucial role of good mentorship. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Becoming part of the ‘power
circle’ or ‘decision-makers circle’ within universities can be challenging for
women; information sharing, and decision making can happen in social settings
which may not be accessible to women. In the time ahead, participants hoped to
collaborate and work together to address these challenges, create
opportunities, and provide women at the cusp of leadership with the resources
they need. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Going forward, NAHE intends
to draw upon the ideas generated by this incredible group of women leaders to
design and implement excellence and leadership courses across Pakistan, both
centrally and through regional hubs of learning. This virtual engagement is one
of several and on-going workshops NAHE intends to hold with women working in
HEIs to support and widen the pool of women in leadership positions. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">NAHE is established as a
stand-alone, autonomous institution operating under the auspices of HEC to
improve the quality of teaching, research, and governance in Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) across Pakistan. It is envisioned as the premier
institution for quality research and teaching related to all aspects of higher
education in Pakistan. This series of trainings is one of multiple ongoing NAHE
endeavors at HEC. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#1f497d;">===============</span></p> | 08-04-2021 07:05:30 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/Virtual-Workshop.aspx |