ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to upload the data provided by universities to ascertain their ranking on its website.Purpose of the decision is to encourage universities to provide correct data to the commission so that an error-free ranking is ensured, Dawn has learnt reliably.
According to sources, for the ranking HEC used the data provided by the universities but it cannot be denied that some universities might have provided wrong or incorrect information due to which their ranking would have gone up.
Therefore, it has been decided that all the data will be uploaded on the website of HEC so that in case there is anything dubious, it can be pointed out. Besides, next time universities will be more careful and they will provide accurate data.
The data provided by the Quaid-i-Azam University was much better as compared to other universities and that was the reason QAU was ranked at the top.
QAU claimed that students of the university presented 106 research papers in 2000, while in 2007 and 2011 the number reached 412 and 699 respectively. Moreover, the university claimed to have inducted 70 PhD’s, established the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research and extended department of economics and department of management sciences.
The university also claimed to expand in terms of introduction of new schools such as school of politics and international relation, school of law, school of culture. On the other hand other universities were not progressing with such pace, sources said.
An officer of HEC told Dawn that according to data provided by the QAU 25 meetings of syndicate, selection board, academic council and advanced studies and research board were held last year. Besides, the university produced 464 PhDs from 2007 to 2011.
QAU also claimed that since July 2010, Rs71.93 million were distributed in 4,013 students – the highest amount of scholarship offered by any university – and over Rs151 million were claimed being used for the ongoing research projects of the university.
It claimed to have signed 44 memorandum of understanding (MoU) with international institutes/departments/universities in the field of natural, biological and social sciences.
Executive Director HEC Dr Sohail Naqvi talking to Dawn said he had decided to upload all the data regarding universities to ensure that universities provided correct information. Once the data was uploaded on the website if there would be wrong information, management of the universities would face embracement at the hands of their own employees and students and they would send correct data next time.