ISLAMABAD: The newly-appointed chairperson of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, on Tuesday said research carried out in universities and other centres should provide solution to local and national issues as the country is facing several challenges.

Speaking at his maiden press conference after becoming the HEC chairperson for two years, Dr Ahmed said Pakistan was facing several challenges such as water depletion and flooding, food security, climate change and security; therefore, research in universities should provide solution to these problems.

Dr Ahmed, who had also headed the HEC from 2014 to 2018, said the commission would take forward the agenda of improving quality of teaching and research in higher educational institutions and universities would be encouraged and supported to play a proactive role for socioeconomic growth of the country.

He said the HEC would bring together universities, research organisations and other government departments to jointly work on presenting solutions to the national issues.

Says commission will be working to improve quality of teaching

“Nations face adversities, however, they strive to rise up. We together have to steer the country out of these problems by prioritising our objectives and synergising for sectoral development,” he added.

Stressing the need for being selective in areas for PhD studies, he said research in universities must provide solution to national issues.

He pointed out that quality, governance and technology-readiness were the major challenges facing the higher education sector. He said the HEC will put make efforts for continuous improvement in quality and governance. He warned that universities who ignored adapting to the needs of technological world will lag behind.

Dr Ahmed said HEC was committed to the mandate of enhancing access, improving quality and ensuring relevance but added that it will emphasise care in expanding the higher education sector.

The government has shown its strong commitment to supporting the higher education sector despite challenges, he added.

“I assure the vice chancellors, faculty and students that HEC will facilitate all of you. And we will work together for development of higher education sector,” he said, affirming that HEC’s role as a regulatory body will be to streamline the processes and improve the quality standards.

The HEC chairperson expressed the hope that public and private sectors will jointly work to enhance their contributions towards the development of Pakistan. He also stressed strengthening academia-industry linkages, skill-based degree programmes and media’s role in informing the masses about educational and research opportunities.

To a question regarding the controversial undergraduate and PhD policies formed by the HEC last year, which were deferred till September 2022 after objections from vice chancellors, Dr Ahmed said he would take all vice chancellors on board on these policies.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2022