ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Netherlands Organization for International Corporation in Higher Education (NUFFIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed by the Higher Education Commission chairman, Dr Attaur Rahman, and the NUFFIC president, Dr P.J.C.Van Dijk.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Dr Atta said, "the MoU is part of sustainable socio-economic development programmes of the HEC and we are proud of the fact that the Netherlands government is providing us with such an opportunity." He further said that the MoU would add a new chapter of future collaboration of programmes between the two countries.

The MoU aims at facilitating a fellowship programme for higher studies of university teachers of Pakistan in the Netherlands. It desires for striving to foster cooperation between the two institutions and to streamline the procedure and other related matters concerning the fellowship programme for higher studies of Pakistani university teachers in the Netherlands universities.

Under the MoU, as many as 50 candidates for postgraduate/ doctorate degree studies would be sent to the Netherlands. It further states that on behalf of and in close coordination with the HEC, as well as with the Netherlands universities, the NUFFIC will implement the entire scholarship programme including the selection of the HEC scholarship candidates during the annual joint selection by the HEC-NUFFIC mission, their placement at Netherlands universities and the monitoring of their study progress.

The NUFFIC will assist the HEC scholars as widely as possible and in close cooperation with the Foreign Student Offices at the host universities, in matters concerning the initial arrival arrangements, immigration, accommodation, degree course admission, accreditation of the previous study achievements and overall adjustment to the new surroundings.

The MoU will enter into force on the date of signatures which is May 25, and will be valid for a period of six years and automatically extended year by year.