Stop Dissolution of Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan: FW: [pakgrid] Future of HEC in Pakistan

-----Original Message-----
From: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com [mailto:pakgrid@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Prof.Dr.Mushtaq Ahmad
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 10:45 AM
To: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com
Cc: faculty@giki.edu.pk; Waseem S. Hashmi Syed; Dr.Mushtaq Ahmad
Subject: [pakgrid] Future of HEC in Pakistan

Dear All

Some politicians have given statements about the future of Higher Education Commission in Pakistan in the news media.
They have suggested to transfer the functions of HEC to the provincial governments or completely abolish this institution and revert back. This is the only public sector institution initiated by the previous regime which can be singled out for its very significant role in lifting the standard of Higher Education program based on 21st century requirements. The HEC has managed to sent thausands of young scientists, engineers, mathematicians and others to academic institutions all over the world during the last decade. Some of these young scholars have successfully completed the MS, PhD dgrees at these academic institutions and have started returning to Pakistan to serve their country.

I would like to mention here one example: Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology alone has been successfull in hiring the services of four these young Phds for the Faculty of Commputer Science & Engineering, among them three were the GIKI graduate scholars. Another worth mentioning program of HEC is the HFPP- Hiring of Foregin Professors Project. The HEC has also facilitated and provided the services of highly experienced professors to public and private sector academic institutions of Pakistan for teaching, research and initiation of advanced scientific programs and research projects labs.
These foreign professors have written research project proposals for attracting funds for the research projects from USA, UK and Euro countries, ADB and UNDP etc. To my knowledge there are six HEC foreign professors working at GIK Institute.

Besides these services, HEC has also evolved and introduced standards and uniform practices for higher education in Pakistan to meet the demands of modern higher education of the country. These sincere and intelligent efforts has resulted in bringing Pakistan on the scene of higher edcation at international level. These standard practices include: (1): Requirements for completion of Phd degree by the scholars at public and private universities of Pakistan, (2): Guide lines for development of uniform curriculums for BS, BSE and BA programs at colleges and universities, (3): Development of Tenure Track program for Public sector education institutions in Pakistan and several other programs relating to issues of higher education in Pakistan.

This is the delima of Pakistan that over the last more than 60 years of its governance, its political leadership have not let some very good development programs initiated by public/private sector institutions like HEC to run smoothly over a period of time, become mature enough and start showing its benefits for the public of Pakistan. No development project is 100 percent successful or defects free.
We still have not learned the importance of constructive feedback, importance of develoment projects appraisal studies and evaluation of development projects based on sound scientific techniques for further improvement. We, all of a sudden give political statements void of any judicious reasons, thinking or knowledge, most often our political leaders does not even know the implications of their statements.

Thank you.

Prof. Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
FCSE, GIK Institute
Topi, Khyber Pukhtunkhuwa, Pakistan.