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HEC on verge of collapse
Islamabad, Nov 11: HEC is at the brink of collapse. After shelving the scholarship
scheme, the Commission is likely to close some more operations due to stoppage
of funds, well-placed sources said.
"Survival of HEC at stake, as
its second quarter of operational expanses, amounting to Rs 3 billion, are also
yet to be released," sources added. |
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Earlier, the present government has
approved a massive cut in the HEC funds, which resulted in halt of many
developmental projects of the Commission across the county, including
cancellation of scholarship scheme.
It is merit mentioning here that HEC
nowadays has become a hot issue in the eyes of media.
The HEC's operations
included the provision of scholarships to fresh graduates and faculty members
for MPhil and PhD, foreign faculty hiring scheme, research & development
scheme, which provide grants to researchers, IT division, digital library to
link universities with each other across the county, learning innovation scheme
for skill development, linguistics and computer skill, establishment of new
universities project in collaboration with foreign countries.
"Besides
halting these operations, the non-cooperating attitude of the incumbent
government would further badly damage the projects of newly-established
universities like Karokoram, Hazara, Sargodha and many other universities in
Sindh and Balochistan provinces," sources disclosed.
However, they said that
Attestation and Recognition Department, Quality Assurance, Curriculum Department
of HEC would be working. Members Operational and Planning Department Dr Mukhtar
Ahmad, when contacted confirmed that second quarter of HEC grants could not be
released to the Commission yet.
He further said; "Yes HEC is facing severe
financial crunch," adding if prevailing situation persists, then HEC would not
able to run its ongoing projects.
To a quarry, he said; "We have no other
option but to cancel more operations running under HEC, across the
county."
Another HEC official said that criticising the HEC was an
irrational approach, as to run its operations was responsibility of the
government by providing resources to the Commission.
He said that if HEC would close its operations then certainly government itself
would be responsible for loss of resources and decline in quality of education
in the county.
He claimed that performance of HEC has been commended
internationally, as currently many other countries were cooperating with the
Commission.
"Under HEC Human Resource Development Scheme, more than 6,000
students have got MPhil- PhD scholarships. But if government is not ready to
give importance to enhance quality of education then foreign countries would
also stop cooperation with HEC," he regretted.
Owing to lack of funds,
now it is difficult for us to pay the salaries to foreign faculty members
serving in different universities of the country. He said that under this
programme, Foreign Faculty Hiring students of different universities were
benefiting from the international experts, especially in science
subjects.
"However, if HEC operations will be closed than certainly it would
be unbearable loss for the education sector," he warned. The Nation
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HEC to hold workshops for senior faculty members
Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will hold a
series of workshops for senior university administrators and faculty members in
five major regions of Pakistan with the first starting in Islamabad from
Wednesday.
The title of the workshop will be "Leading Transformational
Change: Tools for Effective Change." For this event, senior administrators from
universities in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have been
invited. The workshop will focus on developing skills and an action plan for a
change initiative. The major objectives, however, include understanding and
usage of diagnostic tools related to the eight steps involved in major change,
quality assurance of universities and enhancing skills in decision making,
problem solving and conflict situation.
Officials said the HEC had taken
strategic initiatives for facilitating educational institutions in maintaining
their academic excellence and qualitative governance. This, they said, was done
by supporting the professional needs of higher education faculty and university
administrators through open and customized programmes.
The Learning
Innovation Division of HEC kicked off the activities with the first ever
workshop for vice chancellors held at AIT Thailand under the title of "Good
Governance in Universities in the 21st Century."
Two other programmes
were also run for supporting senior management including registrars,
controllers, treasurers, deans, hostel wardens and auditors etc. The title was
"Leading Transformational Change". The response to the first series was quite
encouraging with 134 heads of different administrative units of universities
from across Pakistan taking part. Daily Times
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