ISLAMABAD, June 13: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has set up National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC) to evaluate, scrutinize and monitor the standards followed in different universities/degree-awarding institutions and their affiliated colleges offering computing degree programmes.

Accreditation by the council will be a mandatory process for all relevant academic programmes offered by the public and private sector institutions.

The commission has been authorized by the ordinance, under which it was established, to set up national or regional evaluation councils or authorize any existing council or a similar body to carry out accreditation of institutions by giving them appropriate ratings.

This will include their departments, faculties and disciplines. The commission will help build the capacity of the existing councils or bodies in order to enhance the reliability of evaluation carried out by them.

The accreditation authority has been set up to protect and promote the interest of all the stake holders, namely parents, students, faculty, academic administrators and employers. It will serve to notify the parents and prospective students that a programme has met minimum standards.

The authority will inform the faculty, deans and administrators about the strengths and weaknesses of their programmes and suggest improvements.

Computing has emerged as a major academic discipline and a professional field in Pakistan in the recent past.

A large number of educational institutions offer degree programmes in computing related areas both in public and private sector.

It had, therefore, become essential that an internationally acceptable and industrially viable criteria may be evolved for various degree programmes in computing related degree-awarding institutions. The accreditation will be for specific degree programmes and not institutions.

The Higher Education Commission chairman has approved the appointment of Prof (Dr) Aftab Ahmad, Dean and Director Foundation University Institute of Management and Computer Sciences, Rawalpindi Cantonment, as chairperson.