WASHINGTON, Dec 31: Pakistan on Wednesday introduced a new programme in the United States for recruiting highly-qualified faculty for graduate research programmes in its public sector universities and institutions.

Under its higher education policy, the government urged qualified Pakistanis in the United States to apply for the position of professors, associate professors and assistant professor in all fields, and particularly in academic disciplines related to science, technology and engineering.

The duration of the contract will be at lease one year, and may be extended. "Over the past years, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology have generated a tremendous capacity in the public sector universities of Pakistan to support quality graduate research and teaching," said Mohammed Sadiq, Pakistan's deputy chief of mission in Washington.

Under the current programme, the government hopes to build upon previous efforts by inducting the intellectual capital of foreign-based Pakistani academics and researchers into the system.

To attract foreign faculty members, a comprehensive package has been announced, in addition to the various mechanisms already available for procuring research grants, research infrastructure and other support from the HEC.

The consolidated salary package for a foreign faculty hired under this programme ranges from Rs150,000 to Rs250,000 monthly (average approximately $3000 per month).

The goal of this programme is to hire 300 foreign faculty members each year for the next five years to fill the vast gap of qualified research academics and Ph.D. supervisors in the higher education sector of Pakistan.

"Foreign faculty members, who will bring tremendous wealth of knowledge and research experience, will be expected to impart a modern and progressive outlook to research-based academic programmes in Pakistani universities, and would set norms of international academic standards to be emulated by their local colleagues," said Mr Sadiq.

The government hopes that the project will also generate linkages between local and foreign institutions, encouraging long-term sustainable scientific collaborations.

Foreign faculty members will be expected to supervise world-class graduate level research and deliver cutting-edge graduate level courses in their academic disciplines.

The HEC will ensure provision of funds for supporting graduate students and associated research expenses. "In the long-term, the goal is to uplift graduate programmes in Pakistani universities and bring them up to international standards," Mr Sadiq said.