Hisham Sarwar
During the National Consultative Conference, details of a plan were shared on HEC Vision 2025 at the Convention Centre. According to the plan, the Higher Education Commission is vying to induct 38,000 teachers as well as doctorate degrees into public and private universities. This is a ten-year that was initiated in 2016 and aims to transform the higher education sector of the country.
According to Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning and Development Division, the funding has been increased manifold during previous years. The HEC development budget has been increased to Rs35 billion from Rs21.5 billion during the fiscal year 2016-17. For the outgoing fiscal year to end, only about a month is left. The recent releases demonstrate the government’s commitment to improving the higher education sector in Pakistan.
Minister Iqbal also stated that the development budget for the HEC will be increased to up to Rs 50 billion in 2018. This comprehensive document has been prepared after concrete consultation with academicians, business tycoons, policy makers, as well as the industry leaders. The basic purpose is to consolidate HEC’s accomplishments during the previous years and continue to reform the process.
Iqbal stated that the world has entered into the fourth industrial revolution where automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence have gained immense importance. Thus competence in all such areas requires a strong base for higher education. According to the HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the human resource development is being blended by HEC with the country’s socio-economic growth. This promoted ICT-embedded education programs as well as others.
The Chairman declared that the gender-wise enrolment has been balanced and now the ratio of enrolment of male and female students has been set to 52% and 48% respectively.
Via: Tribune
