|
HEC sends 50 scholars to South Korea
Islamabad, Feb 26, 2008: Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Attaur Rahman
on Monday said there was a sharp increase in the scholarship programmes and that
over 2,500 HEC scholars were currently pursuing their higher studies in the
world leading universities.
He was speaking at a farewell ceremony
organized for 50 HEC scholars who were leaving for MS Studies in South Korea. On
the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the HEC and
the Hanyang University, South Korea.
The scholars, proceeding under the
programme called MS Level Training in Korea Universities/Industry, will study at
the Hanyang and the Seoul National universities, said a press release issued
here.
The event was also attended by Shin Un, ambassador of Republic of
Korea and various other stakeholders including officials of the Engineering
Development Board, Pakistan Engineering Council, Planning Commission, and some
Korean companies.
An eight-member delegation from South Korea, led by Dr
Jung Youn Won, Vice-President Hanyang University, also arrived in Pakistan for
the MoU signing ceremony.
On the occasion, the HEC chairman said in the
last four to five years important steps had been taken to develop the higher
education sector in the country.
He said the HEC had identified the
brightest of minds among faculty members, researchers and fresh graduates and
sent them to the top institutions in the world. He informed the participants
that some 260 of these scholars would return this year after completing their
studies, while another 400-500 would return next year.
Dr Atta said the
commission was placing special emphasis on the engineering education and a large
portion of the scholarships had been reserved for the engineering graduates. He
said South Korea was selected as a partner country because it had excelled in
the academia and industry.
"We want to get benefit form the expertise of
our Korean friends. The Korean universities and industry are strongly interlined
and we want our scholars to learn in that environment," he added.
The HEC
chairman also said the HEC had established various universities of engineering,
science and technology of in the country in collaboration with the developed
countries including Germany, France, Italy, China, Austria and South
Korea.
Shin Un, the Korean ambassador, on the occasion lauded the efforts
by the HEC to develop human resource. "In today's world, the human resources are
much more important than the natural resources and in this context the steps
taken by HEC are very timely and appropriate," he said, adding that South Korea
would prove to be a good partner in this effort. Dawn
|
