ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: The federal minister for education, science and technology, Prof Attaur Rahman, has said Higher Education Commission (HEC) will work with the aim to build a knowledge-based economy, which is the real key to poverty alleviation and overall socio-economic development of the country.

The minister was talking to a two-member World Bank Technical Mission on Higher Education here on Wednesday. The delegation held an indepth discussion in the ministry.

Prof Ata said the government had placed higher education among its top most priorities. The funding to higher education has been enhanced this year from less than Rs1 billion to about Rs4 billion. It is expected to be enhanced to about Rs16 billion annually in a period of two and a half years.

In-depth discussions were held about the changes and reforms required to be introduced in the higher education sector in Pakistan to improve the educational standards to make the education imparted internationally compatible and need-oriented.

It has been agreed between HEC and the World Bank delegation that the report on higher education prepared by the Steering Committee headed by Dr Shams Kasim Lakha will be used as a baseline by the bank to get guidelines while preparing its recommendations.

The World Bank Technical Mission on Higher Education is visiting Pakistan on the request of the minister for science and technology and education, and the ministry of education. The mission is led by Richard Hopper (Education Specialist), and the mission team will include Ms Rosita Van Meel (Senior Education Specialist), Ms Tahseem Sayed, Ameer H. Maqvi and Khalid Khan.

The mission will meet with key representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Higher Education Commission (HEC) and relevant officials at the ministries of education, finance, planning and development division, the economic affairs division, and provincial officials.

The objective of the mission is to meet with key officials, with particular focus on the representatives responsible for overseeing higher education and the higher education reforms process.

The mission will also gather key data and ascertain data regarding the higher education sector, S&T fields, and the labour market.