ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday awarded 31 projects under Technology Fund to PhD scholars, who have returned from abroad after completing their doctorates.

However, the HEC has failed to take any serious step to get jobless PhD scholars accommodated in universities, forcing them to take their issue to the street.

The HEC awarded the projects at a ceremony organised at its secretariat.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal was the chief guest.

The federal minister said technologies were redefining the production means, adding that Pakistan had to adopt technologies so as to realise its dream of joining 25 leading economies of the world by 2025.

He said the project had been launched to build strong linkages between knowledge and production platforms.

“Our universities need to turn into centres of innovation,” he underlined.

He appreciated the HEC for focusing on faculty development, adding that these areas have to be given special attention.

HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said 116 scholars submitted their proposals under Technology Development Fund (TDF). He said 31 projects were selected for funding after thorough evaluation by the HEC’s expert committee.

The chairman said the selected projects include nine projects in the field of Information Technology, eight in food science and technology, and seven projects in agriculture engineering among others. He said the University of Agriculture Faisalabad had won 10 projects, while National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad stood second by winning five projects.

He said each approved project would receive a grant of Rs14 million.

“The projects approved in specified areas are expected to develop products or services which would positively impact the economy, resolve a current problem, meet a market need, utilise local raw material, and create large scale employment,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2017