ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: British Council and Higher Education Commission have joined hands to establish links between universities of the United Kingdom and Pakistan to enhance research activities and skills of faculty.

Speaking at the launch of the HEC-British Council joint higher education link programme here on Wednesday the British High Commissioner, Mark Lyall Grant, said his government had already been cooperating with Pakistan in various fields in education sector.

He said there had been a substantial increase in the enrolment of Pakistani students in British universities during the last two years.

He said the British government increased the number of visas for Pakistani students from 1,000 to 10,000 for higher studies during the last one year.

He expressed the hope that the linkage project would help increase teaching and administrative skills of faculty members by engaging them in training programmes and research activities.

Speaking on the occasion the Chairman, Higher Education Commission, Prof Attaur Rehman, said the project, which was started last year, had established links between 15 universities of Pakistan and UK.

Speaking on the occasion, British Council Director Charlie Walker highlighted the aims and objectives of the programme which has the main focus on faculty development.

The leading public sector universities which participated in the linkage project are: Punjab University, Karachi University, Peshawar University, NED University of Engineering and Technology, University, Karachi; University of Veterinary and Annimal Husbandry, Lahore; Government College University, Lahore; Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, and Islamia University, Bahawalpur.-Hina Hassan Imam and Teiba Bukhari