October 18, 2006	Wednesday	Ramazan 24, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Sophisticated centralised resource laboratories are being established in selected universities across the country to promote excellence in learning and research.

The project is aimed at placing hi-tech laboratory equipment at the centralised laboratories in each university, says a five-year development plan of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Through this project, all the faculty/researchers of the departments concerned would have access to the equipment for research activities.

Support to these laboratories would be provided by a dedicated staff of engineers trained in the proper utilisation of the instruments.

The HEC’s efforts to promote research at the universities have greatly enhanced the number of national and international research grant recipients besides increasing the number of publications in reputed international journals.

The postgraduate programmes of universities in the country are essentially research-based, so this generalisation is more true for doctoral studies requirements.

This research-based system is more effective in those countries which have very strong academic programmes for bachelor and master’s degrees.

However, even in those countries postgraduate students are required to demonstrate their independent research skills by submitting a literature review-based thesis in their first year.