ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the World Bank have begun the 12th and final mission to review and evaluate progress against the targets set under the Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project.

According to the HEC, the four-day mission is having comprehensive discussions concerning all the six project components, which included nurturing academic excellence, supporting decentralised Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for improved teaching and learning, equipping students and HEIs with modern technology, implementing higher education MIS and data driven services, capacity building through partnerships, and improving access and quality of remote learning.

The delegation met HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed who assured them satisfactory completion of the project and thanked the World Bank team for their support. He emphasised the significance of the initiative for higher education development, highlighting its role in capacity building, infrastructure improvement, and academic excellence nationwide.

The HEDP team shared a presentation with World Bank mission, covering overall physical and financial progress, achievements and plans to achieve the remaining IT procurements and other research studies under this project.

The preliminary session highlighted a multitude of achievements, such as the award of research grants, establishment of quality enhancement cells in affiliated colleges, capacity building of faculty members and administration staff, orientations on the revised Undergraduate Education Policy, and significant strides in enhancing access to the Pakistan Education Research Network, among others.

HEC Executive Director Dr Ziaul Qayyum expressed satisfaction regarding progress against the targets set under the HEDP project, and stressed the need for ensuring sustainability of the project outcomes.

Inga Afanasieva, Task Team Leader and Senior Economist at the World Bank, appreciated the HEC and HEDP teams for their persistent hard work in achieving the project targets. She mentioned the significance of the project’s support for areas like National Academy for Higher Education, affiliated colleges and financial autonomy of universities, etc.

HEDP also invited some project beneficiaries to share their experiences that they have gained through this project.

The joint review by HEC and WB will facilitate a comprehensive review and assessment of each of its components’ progress that will lead to award the overall rating of this project.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2025