ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has recently launched a programme that would help the local research institutions benefit from the experience of the expatriates serving as faculty members and researchers at premier teaching and research institutions abroad.

These expatriate scholars are being encouraged to develop joint research programmes with local faculty and provide expertise for the overall development of the departments concerned, a press release said.

Under the programme, proposals for collaborative research might be submitted to internal and external funding agencies.

In this regard, Prof (Dr) Attaur Rahman, the HEC chairman, has created an organization named “The Pakistan Organization of Collaborative Research” (POCR) on the recommendation of eminent expatriate educationists.

Under the programme, 150 researchers and faculty members from abroad have expressed their interest in the scheme and the HEC is in contact with them to utilise their expertise and services in related disciplines being taught at universities and institutions of higher learning in the country.

To activate the scheme, the Commission has also decided to hire the services of expatriate researchers currently visiting Pakistan and willing to work at HEC for a period of two weeks or more.

Some of the experts, educationists and researchers, who are planning to visit Pakistan in near future, have also expressed their interest in helping the HEC with the POCR programme.

The Sports Division of the HEC has also planned to execute sports activities to develop social contacts/coordination among students of Pakistani universities for national integration. The sports division arranges participation of Pakistani universities teams in the world universities games.