The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is a statutory body in Pakistan responsible for promoting higher education and research in the country. It also oversees the development of new universities and colleges, and provides scholarships and financial assistance to students.
Graana.com provides a detailed overview of the HEC below, including its functions, achievements and more.
About HEC
The commission was established in 2002 under the Higher Education Commission Ordinance, and was given the task of improving the quality of higher education in the country.
Moreover, it is headquartered in Islamabad, and operates under the supervision of a Board of Governors (BoG) that is chaired by the Federal Minister for Education and includes representatives from various sectors, including academia, industry, and civil society.
Functions of the HEC
The main functions of the HEC are as follows:
Accreditation and Quality Assurance
It accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) and ensures that they meet international standards of quality. The commission has established a system of accreditation and quality assurance that evaluates the performance of HEIs based on various parameters, such as academic programs, faculty, research, and facilities. Moreover, it also monitors HEIs through periodic inspections and evaluations.
Development of New HEIs
The HEC is also responsible for the development of new HEIs in Pakistan. The commission provides funding and technical assistance to institutions that are seeking to establish new universities in Pakistan or colleges.
It also oversees the establishment of new campuses of existing universities and promotes public-private partnerships in the education sector.
Research and Innovation
It promotes research and innovation in Pakistan by funding research projects and providing scholarships to students and faculty members.
The commission has established several centres of excellence in different fields, such as engineering, medicine, and social sciences, to promote research and development. It also encourages collaboration between Pakistani and international researchers and institutions.
Human Resource Development
It is responsible for the development of human resources in the higher education sector. The commission provides scholarships and financial assistance to students and faculty members to pursue higher education and research in Pakistan and abroad.
It also promotes capacity-building programs, and provides training and professional development opportunities to university administrators.
International Cooperation
The commission has signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with universities and research institutions in different countries to promote academic and research collaboration.
It also provides financial assistance and scholarships to Pakistani students and researchers to study or conduct research abroad.
Role of the HEC in Promoting Higher Education in Pakistan
The Higher Education Commission – HEC’s vision is to transform Pakistan into a “knowledge economy” by developing a world-class higher education system that is accessible, equitable, relevant, and quality-oriented.
To achieve this, it has devised various policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to enhance the following aspects of higher education:
Access and Equity
It strives to increase the enrolment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds and regions in higher education institutions. It also promotes gender equality and inclusion of marginalised groups, such as persons with disabilities, minorities, and refugees.
Some of the measures taken to improve access and equity include establishing new universities and campuses in remote areas, providing scholarships and financial aid to needy students, supporting distance learning and online education platforms, launching community colleges and vocational training programmes, and creating special quotas and facilities for underrepresented groups.
Quality and Relevance
It ensures that higher education institutions meet the national and international standards of quality in terms of curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research, and governance. It also ensures that the higher education programs are relevant to the needs and aspirations of society and the economy.
Some of the measures taken to improve quality and relevance include developing a national qualification framework and accreditation system, conducting regular assessments and ranking of universities, providing grants and incentives for faculty development and research excellence, establishing centres of excellence and innovation hubs in various fields, facilitating industry-academia linkages and entrepreneurship support programmes, and aligning higher education with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the National Vision 2025.
Research and Innovation
It fosters a culture of research and innovation in the higher education sector by providing funding, infrastructure, training, recognition, and networking opportunities to researchers. It also encourages collaboration among researchers within Pakistan as well as with international partners.
Some of the measures taken to improve research and innovation include establishing a national research database (Pak-RIS) and a digital library (Pak-DL), supporting research journals (PJCR) and conferences (PCRC), launching thematic research programmes (TRGP) and grand challenges (GCF), creating research chairs (PRC) and fellowships (PDF), facilitating patent filing (IPR) and technology transfer (TTC), promoting social sciences (SSRC) and humanities (HRC), and establishing the National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) for capacity building of faculty members.
Achievements
The HEC has made significant progress in achieving its goals since its inception. According to its latest annual report (2019-2020), some of its most notable achievements include:
- Increasing the number of universities from 59 in 2002 to 216 in 2020.
- Increasing the enrolment of students from 0.276 million in 2002 to 1.9 million in 2020.
- Increasing the number of PhDs produced from 3,281 in 2002 to 18,603 in 2020.
- Increasing the number of research publications from 815 in 2002 to 19,541 in 2020.
- Increasing the budget allocation from Rs. 8.5 billion in 2002 to Rs. 64 billion in 2020.
- Securing over $1 billion worth of foreign assistance for higher education development projects.
- Establishing over 50 centres of excellence in various fields.
Challenges Faced by the HEC
Despite its achievements, it faces several challenges that hinder its efforts to promote higher education and research in Pakistan. Some of these are:
Insufficient Funding
It has faced funding constraints since its establishment, which has limited its ability to achieve its objectives fully. The commission has relied on funding from the government, which has not always been sufficient to meet its needs.
Political Interference
It has faced political interference in its functioning on multiple occasions. It needs to operate independently and without political influence to achieve its objectives fully.
Quality of Education
Despite its efforts to improve the quality of education provided by HEIs in Pakistan, there is still a significant gap between the quality of education offered by Pakistani universities and international universities.
Award List of Chairmen
The following is a list of people who have served as the chairman of the HEC.
| No. | Name | Start of Tenure | End of Tenure |
| 1 | Atta-ur-Rahman | October 2002 | 9 October, 2008 |
| 2 | Javaid Laghari | 23 August, 2009 | 23 August, 2013 |
| 3 | Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani (acting) | 9 November, 2013 | 14 April, 2014 |
| 4 | Mukhtar Ahmed | 15 April, 2014 | 15 April, 2018 |
| 5 | Tariq Banuri | 28 May, 2018 | 28 May, 2022 |
| 6 | Mukhtar Ahmed | 1 August, 2022 | Present |
Conclusion
The HEC has played a vital role in promoting higher education and research in the country since its establishment. The commission has expanded access to higher education, improved the quality of education offered by universities and colleges, promoted research and innovation, and developed human resources in the higher education sector.
Despite the challenges it faces, it remains committed to its mission and continues to make significant strides to help Pakistan achieve its full potential in the field of higher education and research.
FAQs
Q: What is HEC Pakistan?
A: The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan is an independent regulatory authority that was established in 2002 to oversee and promote higher education and research in the country.
Q: What is the main objective of HEC Pakistan?
A: Its main objective is to promote higher education and research in Pakistan and, thus, enhance the country’s knowledge economy.
Q: How does HEC Pakistan promote higher education?
A: It funds universities and colleges, offers scholarships to students and faculty members, and provides capacity-building programs for university administrators.
Q: Does HEC Pakistan provide financial assistance to students?
A: Yes, it provides scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in Pakistan and abroad.
Q: How does HEC Pakistan ensure the quality of education offered by universities and colleges?
A: It has introduced a system of accreditation and quality assurance that evaluates the performance of HEIs based on international standards.
Q: What are the challenges faced by HEC Pakistan?
A: Major challenges include insufficient funding, political interference, and low quality of education.
Q: Can international students study in Pakistani universities with the help of HEC Pakistan?
A: Yes, international students can study in Pakistani universities by applying for scholarships and exchange programs. The commission also collaborates with international universities to promote academic and research collaboration.
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