ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has approved eight major projects submitted by different universities of the country.

The projects were approved in the 6th meeting of the HEC’s Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP), which was held at the HEC campus in Islamabad.

Eleven projects submitted by different universities/institutes of higher learning were discussed in detail out of which eight projects were approved with certain changes.

The projects which would be financed by the commission included upgradation of Department of Horticulture to Institute of Horticultural Sciences at Agriculture University, Faislabad; establishment of centralized instrumentation centres at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore and University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi; and computerization and networking enhancement programme for Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro.

The DDWP also approved to finance two purely research oriented educational projects submitted by Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, for “Characterization and Applications of Bio-regulators of Economic Importance” and Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore for “Repair of Damaged Cochlear Functions by Stem Cell Therapy”.

Similarly, the HEC has approved a project to construct a hostel for about 160 girls at University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.

Repair and renovation of existing building and extension in administration block of the HEC, Islamabad was also approved by the DDWP.

The meeting was presided over by the HEC executive director, Dr S. M. Hassan. Meanwhile, Dr S. Sohail H. Naqvi (Member HRD), Dr Anwar Nasim (Comstech advisor); Dr Khalid Mahmood, vice- chancellor of, University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi; and Dr Faiz Ishaq (Comsats director) also attended the meeting.

CURRICULUM REVISED: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has finalized the curriculum for the discipline of Social Work being taught in different colleges and universities at graduate and postgraduate levels.

According to a press release, the final draft of the curriculum was approved at a meeting of the HEC’s National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC), which concluded here on Friday.

The draft has been prepared after reviewing suggestions and comments received from all the universities and colleges regarding changes to be made in the curriculum. The final draft will be forwarded to all the universities for implementation.

The committee observed that at present only five universities were offering this discipline at masters level. It also recommended that social work courses should be introduced in other universities of the country.

The committee recommended that postgraduate diploma courses in community development, human resource development, drug abuse, rural development, child rights, women development, population welfare and gerontology should also be initiated at the departments of social work.

It stressed the need for imparting computer training to the faculty members.

The main objectives of the meeting were to develop a suitable syllabus for the students to make them aware of basic concepts and various fields of social work with reference to Pakistan and enable them to assume responsibilities in the fields/areas of social welfare.

The concluding session was presided over by the HEC director general (Curriculum), Prof Dr Altaf Ali G. Sheikh.