ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Turkish Council of Higher Education (CoHE) have approved 13 joint research projects in the second phase of the Pak-Turk Researchers Mobility Grant Programme.

The programme, which provides mobility support to researchers, is one of the outcomes of Turkish and Pakistani cooperation within efforts to internationalise higher education systems.

A statement issued by the HEC on Tuesday said: “Under this programme, new scientific and technological cooperation between Turkish and Pakistani higher education institutions will be developed by supporting mobility of graduate students and academic staff.”

It said 70 applications were received in the wake of the second call for proposals under the programme, of which 33 met the eligibility criteria and 13 were selected to be awarded the grant.

The researchers have six priority areas: energy, food, sustainable environment technologies, material sciences, smart transportation systems and robot and smart systems.

The successful researchers are from the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of the Punjab in Lahore; Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences in Quetta, Government College University in Faisalabad, University of Engineering and Technology in Peshawar, University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, Lahore College for Women University, University of Peshawar, University of Sargodha, Comsats University in Islamabad and Islamia College University in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2019