"Higher Education Opportunities"

Chairman HEC Writes VCs to increase quota for FATA Students

Friday, 23 August 2013

Islamabad: In compliance of Prime Minister Directive, the Chairperson Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Javaid Laghari has written letter to the Vice chancellors for increase of admission quota of students belonging to FATA from one to two percent. The vice chancellors have been requested to implement the directives in letter and spirit.

Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan are passing through extremely challenging circumstances. There is a general belief that the security situation is also the result of paucity of opportunities. The disgruntled youth is falling prey to the nefarious designs of the extremist elements. There is a death of quality educational institutions in FATA for the youth. The socioeconomic indicators are not even comparable to the most backward areas of the Provinces. The situation warrants urgent action from all concerned.  In view of the above the Prime Minister of Pakistan has issued directions that Provinces shall make arrangements to reserve at least 2% of the seats in Medical, Engineering and other Professional Institutions and Universities, for students hailing from the FATA areas. This would enable the mainstreaming of FATA students, who could return to serve in some of the most backward areas and also perform as agents of change and catalysts of modernization.

In addition, The Higher Education Commission HEC has also decided to award foreign PhD scholarships to working journalists of FATA   under the project ‘Provision of Higher Education Opportunities for the Students of Balochistan and FATA’. These scholarships will be for PhD studies at leading HEC identified Universities in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for spring 2014 session. The working journalist with FATA domicile and masters in Journalism or equivalent would be eligible to apply for the scheme.

HEC Special Task Force to Visit Balochistan

Sunday, 04 August 2013

Islamabad: A Special Task Force recently constituted by Higher Education Commission (HEC) would visit Balochistan after Eid holidays. The Task Force has been established over the proposal of Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch who met Chairperson HEC Dr. Javaid R. Laghari few days earlier. During the meeting, the Chairman HEC agreed to establish a Special Task Force to evaluate and promote higher education in Balochistan so that it can keep pace with national standards.   He also assured cooperation in addressing human resource related problems in the province.

The task force would be headed by Chairperson HEC Dr. Javaid R. Laghari and will be comprised of eminent and experienced academicians and administrators including Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nizamuddin Vice Chancellor University of Gujrat and Chairperson National Committee on Development of Social Sciences and Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences which is comprised of 16 leading universities of Pakistan, Prof Dr. Riaz Hussain Qureshi former Vice Chancellor Agriculture University Faisalabad and Advisor Quality Assurance & Human Resource Development  HEC  Islamabad, Prof. Dr, Mansoor Akbar Kundi Vice Chancellor Gomal University  D.I khan who also has vast experience of working in higher education sector of Balochistan.  The members of the Task Force will meet the vice chancellors, university administrators, faculty students and other stakeholders before making recommendations to the Chef Minister Balochistan.

 The Task Force on Balochistan Higher Education will  delineate primary challenges the Universities in Balochistan are currently facing that impede their development as high standard institutions of learning and research and recommend,  steps and reforms required to improve their performance and progress as world class institutions of higher learning. While assessing the Universities in Balochistan, the Task Force will  among other things, specifically focus on the areas including Governance and Management of Universities; autonomy from all kinds of extraneous influences in academic, administrative and financial functions, faculty development, trainings and research functions, institutional performance, adequacy of resources (public and self-generated; including university effectiveness to mobilize resources), efficiency and effectiveness of resource use, adoption and adherence to quality standards and practices, development and quality of faculty, retention vis-à-vis vacancy, law and order issues arising there from necessitating immediate response and solution and role of Universities in improving quality of instructions and research in affiliated institutions etc.

The Higher Education Commission HEC has paid special attention towards increasing access to higher education in remote and far flung areas of the country. Within last few years, out of total 55 new university campuses:  31 have been established in rural areas throughout Pakistan.

The main HEC initiatives for promotion of equitable access to higher education In Balochistan include:  approval of 49 development projects amounting to more than Rs. 10 billion, application of federal quota policy over indigenous and foreign scholarship programs,  allocation of 390 PhD scholarships for university faulty,   award of  2,000 scholarships to students of Balochistan and FATA, announcement of  1500 more scholarships and 600 foreign PhD scholarships, implementing  Fee Waiver Scheme for the Public Sector University Students of Balochistan at Masters and MS level at Balochistan and PhD Students throughout the country, launched special projects for the development of basic infrastructure at higher education institutions of the province including labs, class rooms, seminars rooms, labs, transport facilities, digital libraries, video conferencing facility etc. and establishment of HEC Regional Centre at Quetta

As result of these reforms for Balochistan,  number of universities  has been increased from  2 to 8, student enrollment increased from thirty  thousand to more than seventy six thousands and  impressive increase  has been witnessed in  international publications from 6 in 2002 to 338 in 2011.

MBBS/BDS studies programmes altered

• Thursday, 27 June 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has amended the MBBS/BDS professional studies programmes comprising five professionals while superseding the earlier MBBS programme schedule comprising four professionals.
According to the new methodology, decided by the Executive Committee/ Council, the 1st Professional of two years duration is divided into two professionals. The Executive Committee/Council also decided that “Any student who fails to clear the 1st Professional in four chances availed or unavailed and has been expelled on that account, shall not be eligible to continue their medical/dental studies of MBBS or BDS and shall not be eligible for fresh admission as a fresh candidate in either MBBS or BDS. Any student who fails to clear the 2nd Professional in four chances availed or unavailed and has been expelled on that account, shall not be eligible for continuation of medical studies of the MBBS and shall not be eligible for fresh admission as a fresh candidate in either MBBS or BDS. Moreover, for full registration the medical practitioner shall have the following two modules including “Modules of Medicine and Allied” (six months) and “Modules of Surgery and Allied” (six months), while each module has to be completed separately in the same hospital recognized by the PM&DC.
It is pertinent to mention here that the break-up of the columns of the house job modules can be deleted and be replaced by the above mentioned distribution. The Council also decided that medical and dental colleges in the first two years shall allow only 10 percent of allocated seats per year in lieu of dropout students/ vacant seats.

PHC stops NIMS from functioning

• Wednesday, 19 June

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Peshawar High Court has stopped NIMS [National Institute of Management Sciences] from functioning while endorsing the decision of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council [PM&DC] while saying that all the students of the NIMS shall be adjusted in the private sector Medical Colleges under the supervision of PM&DC within 15 days in-lines with all the legal requirements.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Medical and Dental Council had refused the recognition of the college in 2008 as it did not comply with inspection criteria of the Council due to major deficiencies in its faculty and infrastructure. However, overruling the criteria and subsequent denial of NOC from PM&DC, the college had admitted/enrolled about 390 students and kept functioning without the approval of the Council.
In a writ petition, submitted by the students of the college, the Honorable Peshawar High Court has also ordered that “students of the final year, who were permitted by this Court to appear in the final year examination, are also to be adjusted in private sector Medical Colleges in final years, after verification of the documents by the PM&DC and they shall have to reappear in Final year from that institution,” it added.
The decision says that a committee shall be constituted consisting members all private institution of the Province along with Council representative and Vice Chancellor of the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar as its Chairman for the adjustment of the students and the college will liable reimburse all the amounts according to the slips/receipts submitted by the students.
In another decision the council has also banned Women Medical College Abbottabad from functioning since it did not maintain the standards of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. 

Education and Health gets attention of Federal Government

• Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs 1,186,623,000 for the education and trainings division for the ongoing fiscal year of 2013-14. The Higher Education Commission has been allocated Rs. 39,000,000,000, while Rs. 3,817,727,000 has been allocated for the Federal Government educational institutes in cantonments and garrisons. On the other hand, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division have been allocated Rs. 831,200,000.

Under the Functional classifications, the education and training division has been allocated Rs. 350,000,000 for Transfers; Rs. 635,603,000 for General services, Rs. 103,968,000 for General Economic, Commercial and Labour Affairs, and Rs. 97,052,000 for Education Affairs and Services not elsewhere classified.

Likewise Rs. 5,237,108,000 has been allocated for Development Expenditure of Education and Training Division under which, Rs 2,367,980,000 will be for Transfers, Rs. 352,000,000 for General Services, Rs 135,240,000 for General Economic, Commercial and Labour Affairs, and Rs. 2,381,888,000 for Education Affairs and Services not elsewhere classified.

The amount allocated to the HEC will be under the functional classification of Tertiary Education Affairs and Services.

The amount allocated for Federal government educational institutes in cantonments and garrisons has been further functionally classified as, Rs. 407,605,000 for Pre-Primary and Primary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 2,394,553,000 for Secondary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 797,236,000 for Tertiary Education Affairs and Services, and Rs. 218,333,000 for the Administration.

The Ministry of Capital administration and development has been allocated Rs. 1,608,122,000 for Pre. & Primary education affairs and services, Rs. 1,953,117,000 for Secondary Education Affairs and Services, 2,698,757,000 for Tertiary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 103,300,000 for Education Services Not definable by level, Rs. 7,225,000 for Subsidiary Services to education, and Rs. 8,995,000 for Education Affairs and Services not Elsewhere Classified. Likewise the development expenditure as per the functional classification is, Rs 1,158,580,000 for Hospital Services, Rs. 131,790,000 for Public Health Services, Rs. 22,374,000 for Tertiary Educational Affairs and Services.

The amount allocated to the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division is further functionally classified as, Rs 189,330,000 for Hospital Services, Rs 216,532,000 for Public Health Services, and Rs. 208,560,000 Health Administration. Likewise Rs 25,739,199,000 are allocated for the development expenditure of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division. The allocated amount is further functionally classified as Rs 3,054,916,000 for Public Health Services, Rs. 124,000,000 for Research and Development Health, and Rs 22,560,283,000 for Health Administration. While the ministry of Capital Administration and Development has also been allotted Rs. 5,684,237,000 for Hospital Services.

Federal government has allocated Rs 5.237 billion in annual development budget Public Section development program (PSDP) 2013-14 for 09 ongoing schemes  in education and training division, however no new projects in education sector has been introduced in annual development budget. While the Capital Administration and Development Division has been allocated Rs. 1505.688 millions in this regard. The Higher Education Commission has been allocated 18490.000 million for its 120 ongoing and 32 new schemes, while the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division has been allocated 25739.199 million.

Higher Education:

US professor launches in-house faculty training session in NUML

• Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: An in-house faculty development training session, with the collaboration of University of North Texas, was started at National University of Modern Languages on Tuesday. It is being conducted by Dr Raja Masood Ashraf, Assistant Professor of Postcolonial Literature and Theory at the University of North Texas and the editor of ‘Pakistaniaat’, a journal of Pakistan Studies. 

The duration of this session is six weeks and two such sessions would be held every year over next three years. In his introductory session, Dr Masood Ashraf Raja, told the participants of the session, that literary theory allows us to look and grasp the spirit of a literary piece from different perspectives and angles.

Dr Raja told the participants that to be a post-colonialist, literary theorist or non-conformist, what we needed was an extensive knowledge of the historical periods, norms and literary trends. “In coming session, we will discuss and engage in activities which would help us explore new ways to analyse and interpret literature,” he added.

Speaking at the introductory session, Director General Brig Azam Jamal said that this three-year cooperative agreement would enhance the capabilities of the NUML English Department, while also providing faculty and students of UNT with unparalleled opportunities to learn about Pakistan and its culture. He said NUML is a premier language university with twenty-seven language departments and six campuses spread over Pakistan. 

The partnership would focus on faculty development and collaborative research, curriculum development, access to research materials, graduate student training and research, and the establishment of a Writing Resource Center at NUML.

Registrar Brig (R) Saeed Akhtar Malik told that this In-house Faculty Development Training session was the one of the phases of academic partnership between NUML and UNT. There were a total of three phases of this three-year-long partnership between NUML and UNT. In the first phase of this partnership, 35 faculty members and 18 students would visit UNT under fellowship program in UNT. 

The second phase was the In-house Training Session, which was presently in progress under the supervision of Dr Raja Masood Ashraf, at NUML. The third and final phase includes a Resource Centre, which has been established in NUML, he added. Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja and Registrar Brig (R) Saeed Akhtar Malik would be serving as Project Directors from their respective institutions. The introductory session was attended by Rector Maj Gen (R) Masood Hasan, DG Brig Azam Jamal, senior faculty members from different departments and regional campuses of the university.

No NOC, no status:

No NOC, no status, HEC tells nine universities

• Thursday, 16 May 2013 

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission is not recognising the degrees issued by 9 recently launched universities until they obtain no objection certificates from the commission, learnt The Spokesman.
The universities are including My University, The Darul-Madina International University, South Asian Strategic Institute University, Capital University, Pakistan Institute of Management, Habib University Foundation, Nazeer Hussain University, Lal Shahbaz University and University of Technology.
The step was taken in the light of the Supreme Court’s directives of taking strict action against those universities which are operating without taking clearance certificates from the HEC while the HEC also received complaints regarding some of the universities operating without getting approval from the HEC, said HEC spokesperson Murtaza Noor.
He said before issuing an NOC to a university, the HEC checked that either the universities were fulfilling its criteria or not. “HEC checks the physical infrastructure, faculty, administration, existing facilities and financial status of the university before issuing an NOC,” Murtaza said.
“The main reason, behind the HEC’s these steps, is to discourage the substandard institutes and to raise the quality of education. Such initiatives are also helpful to prevent the institutes for issuing fake degrees,” Murtaza said. He said nine private universities have been granted charter by the authorities without fulfilling the cabinet criteria for the establishment of a new university or a degree awarding institute including NOC from the HEC.
He said the parents and students are also advised not to approach any university for admissions, which is operating without HEC’s approval. “Parents as well as the students should check the website of the university concerned before applying for admissions there,” Murtaza said.
He said that the HEC makes announcements through news papers to aware the public about substandard institutes. “The universities that have not obtained NOC, can still approach the HEC for their clearance before initiating any academic activity like admissions in any degree program,” Murtaza said. 

Students pay teacher’s salary to continue studies

Saturday, 16 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Owing to the lack of attention on part of the authorities concerned, the College for Medical and Laboratory Technology has been suffering from shortage of staff in each department to teach hundreds of its students
According to details, CMLT, which works under National Institute of Health, has been going through shortage of staff due to which the available teachers have no choice but to take more than two subjects to cover the syllabus, which is irking the students as well as the teachers.
A large number of students doing BSC and FSC at the college have complained that they are not being given proper attention by the faculty which is affecting their studies. “There are subjects like petrology, instrumentation and blood banking. These subjects are being covered by a single female teacher for the FSc as well as the BSc classes at the same time.
“Other subjects like parasitology are also going through the same situation leaving a question mark on the studies of the students as well as the role of the NIH management,” said a student. According to some other students, earlier the college had the faculty for these subjects. “Due to delay in salaries, the staff was forced to leave the institution. The teacher who taught us these subjects left the institution because he was not being paid according to his contract. The students then arranged money at our own to pay him for the month because there was no replacement in the faculty and we had our exams to be held in few days,” said yet another student.
The institute’s management has not paid any attention toward students’ sufferings as the college is still not having any permanent faculty for many subjects. The students also accused the management of not hiring permanent faculty, despite the fact that student fees for the latest batches have also been raised by 40 percent. The college had previously affiliation with King Edward Medical University of Lahore. That was later terminated. It was then affiliated with University of the Punjab, which caused increase in the fee structure.
Principal Dr Mohammad Hussain, when contacted, said, “These issues are not only CMLT’s issues. These are everywhere.” He said currently they have hired one of their ex-students who topped in her college exams as a teacher for the subjects that have no faculty. He said the reason why the college lacked permanent faculty was a ban on new recruitments imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the other hand, National Institute of Health Director Administration Dr Saqlain Ahmad Gilani told The Spokesman that “The number of teachers is enough according to the number of the students in the college. Normally people with expertise from different departments also take classes, which is not wrong as it happens in all other colleges”.

Students facing neglect at top education board

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The students turning towards the head office of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education are suffering due to irresponsible behaviour of the administration; however the ‘agents’ are active on the other hand to ‘assist’ the these helpless students for money.
The FBISE administration is forcing the students to again verify their already verified degrees from their concerned educational boards and universities for attestations, which is affecting a large number of students from far-flung areas. Waqas Arif, student of BS (Hon) who came to visit FBISE from Gujrat, told The Spokesman that he completed his intermediate from Gujrat in 2006 and then verified his certificate from the concerned board on February 6, 2012 after paying Rs 3250 as fee. He said that he could not send his documents for the attestation immediately for some reasons, which has created an issue for him.
“FBISE staff totally refused my request and suggested me to again verify my certificates from the board after which they would be able to attest it because according to them, they have no records of the verified documents older than three months,” said Waqas. However, according to him, another official interfered during his discussion with the staff members, by telling him to stay at a side where a person will meet him who can resolve his issue.
“After waiting for some time, a person wearing uniform of a security guard met and offered me that my documents will be attested immediately if I pay him 2000, excluding the attestation fee which is Rs 400 only, but I refused his offer and he disappeared,” he added. Wasiq Abbasi, another student from district Bagh of Azad Kashmir, said that he was also visiting the office for attestation of his degree but was facing the same hurdles by the staff.
“The staff declined attestation of my degree by telling that they are considering only those documents for the attestation which are verified after 2010. Unfortunately, mine was verified in 2009,” he said. He said that he was also told by a staff member that if he can wait for some time, a person will meet him to resolve his issues, but no one has met him yet. Abdul Wahab was also visiting the FBISE office to attest the documents of his niece who is residing in England.
He said that he was told by the staff to bring an authority letter from the owner of the documents, which was not possible for him currently. He said that he requested the staff again to attest without the authority letter for which again he was told to wait at a place where a person will meet him for his assistance. “I am ready to pay any amount the person may ask for, just because I have already wasted three days in this process and today they revealed that I would be requiring an authority letter,” he said.
When contacted, Mohammad Iqbal Khankhel, deputy director at the Inter-Board Committee of Chairman, told The Spokesman that, “We are receiving hundreds of applications for documents attestation and equivalent certificates daily which forces us to replace the record with the latest one.” National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Education Chairman Sheikh Rohale Asghar said that, “if someone writes us about the issue within two days, we may consider it in the last meeting of the standing committee.”

Hostel ‘cold’ in wintry winter

Saturday, 02 February 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The hostel for College of Medical Laboratory Technology lacks even the basic facilities, causing severe hardships to around 150 students, who are facing problems like the poor condition of washrooms and drinking water. The students are not provided with heaters or proper heating system in the winter season, while some rooms don’t even have electricity, The Spokesman has learned.
It has also been revealed that some employees of various departments are also residing in the hostel. The condition of washrooms is worst as many of them are without door locks and the students are relying on bricks and other stuff to keep them shut. A student told The Spokesman that majority of the five to six bathrooms were in condition to be used. Similar is the case with the female students as they were to be given a separate building for their hostel. But it was allotted to the students of Federal Dental and Medical College - an institute located in the same vicinity – because of their low strength. However, the situation worsened further when 15 to 20 girls were adjusted in a B-Type house in the residential area of the National Institute of Health (NIH). A student of CMLT, who did not want to be named, said the room he was living in had no heating system due to which he developed a chest infection in the severe cold weather and had to visit a doctor four to five times for treatment.
When contacted, Dr Mumtaz, the chief warden of CMLT hostels, expressed his satisfaction over the situation. “The students are paying Rs 500 as monthly fee and availing enough facilities according to this amount.”
When asked about the heating system, he revealed that two students had died due to suffocation a few years ago after which gas heaters were banned in the hostel rooms. “The students in our hostel must cover themselves with warm clothes and blankets. I believe they will not die of cold but we cannot allow them to have gas heaters in rooms because we already lost two lives; therefore, we cannot take more risk,” he further added.  Dr Mumtaz admitted that currently, an employee of TB Control Programme was residing in the student’s hostel and he had two weeks time to shift to somewhere else. “After getting permission from our Assistant Director Saqlain Gilani, we had given him time till the upcoming Monday after which he will leave the hostel.”
He said a subedar (a non-commissioned army officer) was also using a room, which was illegal but he had been allowed to stay for the security of hostel. Regarding the issue of girls’ hostel, Dr Mumtaz stated that the house used for the purpose was enough for them as the number of girls fluctuated from time to time and everything was okay for them. When contacted, Dr Muhammad Hussain, the CMLT principle, showed his complete ignorance about the affairs and referred the correspondent to contact the hostel warden.

Manhandled students lodge FIR against harassers

• Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Aggrieved students of the College of Medical Laboratory Technology, National Institute of Health blocked the institution's main entrance for two hours and protested against the management and authorities over a recent incident wherein some employees of the National Health Emergency Preparedness & Response Network (NHEPRN)’s, a body also controlled by NIH, attacked and seriously injured some students.
Later in the day, an FIR was registered with the Bani Gala police station against accused perpetrators by the affected students under sections 506(i), 148 and 149.
According to details, some employees of NHEPRN entered the college area in NIH and severely beat  three students one of whom was admitted to Poly Clinic hospital.  A person among the attackers was recognized by the students as Irfan, who is said to be an employee of NHEPRN.
Kashif, a student who witnessed the whole incident told The Spokesman, "The Students including some girls were going home after college when two guys on motorbikes without number plates teased and misbehaved with them.
A few days later, the same guys again appeared inside the college area looking for those girls. They were confronted by the students and an exchange of harsh words occurred after which they left only to come back later in a bigger group and thrash the students with steel rods and sticks.
Dr. Mohammad Hussain, the principal of the college, strongly condemned the act of violence on his students but some students blamed him for hushing the entire episode rather than bringing the culprits to book.
When contacted, Dr. Syed Saqlain Ahmad Gilani, the director administration of NIH informed that an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate the incident and the institution will implement strict measures to assure the students that the incident is not repeated.