| VCs Urge Government to Protect Higher Education Budget | VCs Urge Government to Protect Higher Education Budget | <p style="text-align:justify;">Islamabad, June 2, 2022: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanvir Hussain have held out assurance to the heads of public sector universities that the Government will not cut the higher education sector's budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2022-23.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Ministers were addressing the Vice Chancellors Committee meeting held at the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad. Vice Chancellors of all the public sector universities and the Commission (HEC's governing body) members attended the meeting.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Vice Chancellors conveyed their concerns about the Indicative Budget Ceilings (IBC) of only Rs. 30 billion for higher education's recurring grant for the FY 2022-23. However, they welcomed the assurances of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif with regard to protection of the higher education sector's budget. They emphasized that HEC had presented a rationalized demand of Rs. 104.983 billion for the next financial year worked out together with the Ministry of Finance which needs to be protected. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Mr. Ahsan Iqbal affirmed that the Government is cognizant of the importance of higher education and universities in the development of a nation. He underlined that the country needs to bring the universities to the forefront to help tackle its challenges by fully utilizing the potential of youth. "The States unable to provide education to their youth lose their right to survival," he stated. He said Pakistan has rich endowments and it will turn around the tide of economic hardships. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Minister said that the universities carry-out mentoring of almost two million youth, who are the future of this country. He termed classrooms and laboratories of the universities as national security frontiers while calling the Vice Chancellors the corps commanders. He highlighted that it is up to the Vice Chancellors as to how they prepare the youth for future challenges. "We have to provide a platform to our youth to bring Pakistan to the position it deserves and inculcate the principle of unity in diversity" he stressed.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Minister for Federal Education Rana Tanveer stated that he stands by the universities in their valid demand for allocation of Rs. 104.983 billion. He stressed the need for promoting quality of education, innovation, and research activities in the universities to equip the country's youth with education and skills. He said that the Government will take steps to improve the financial management of universities. He expressed his approval of a recommendation by Vice Chancellors that the budgetary allocation to higher education should be linked to the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Executive Director HEC Dr. Shaista Sohail underlined that the public sector universities are already under a financial stress, as some universities have gone short of funds to even pay salaries and pensions. She said that HEC presented a rationalized demand of Rs. 104.983 billion for the FY 2022-23, while the proposed allocation is 45 per cent less even than the current year's allocation of Rs. 66.25 billion.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">She acknowledged the Prime Minister's assurance following the issuance of IBC and called it as a welcome gesture. However, she emphasized that the Government must fulfil its promise, in addition to releasing the additional grant of Rs. 15 billion promised by the previous Government for the current fiscal year. She said that HEC funds 100 public sector universities, 50 Research Centers/Institutes and 18 new universities (eligible for funding). It will be impossible to run universities if any cut is enforced, she warned.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">She said that the Federal Government provides around 34% of the funds needed to run universities and the provinces allocate 6-8 percent, adding that the universities themselves arrange for the rest of its monetary requirements. She said that the public sector universities are bound to keep the semester fee within a limit in order to ensure that the students of low-income families may also acquire education. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Earlier, Engr. Ahmed Farooq Bazai, Commission Member and Vice Chancellors BUEITMS and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, Chair of the VCs' Committee and Vice Chancellor QAU expressed their concern over serious shortfall in higher education funding and impressed upon the Government to restore the funding to the rationalized demand of Rs.104.983 billion. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Muhammad Asghar Commission Member as well as several other Vice Chancellors expressed their views on the occasion. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">==============</p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p> | 03-06-2022 16:08:21 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/PR-VCs-Conference.aspx |
| HEC to Launch Online Mechanism to Facilitate Cashless Payments | HEC to Launch Online Mechanism to Facilitate Cashless Payments | <p><img src="/english/news/news/PRPics/DSC_7168.JPG" alt="" style="margin:5px;" /></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Islamabad, May 30, 2022: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s 1LINK to launch an online/automated mechanism to facilitate cashless payments for its services.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The collaboration with M/s 1LINK, the lead authorised service provider for online payment services in Pakistan, will facilitate cashless payments for all types of HEC services through 1Bill via mobile phones or the internet and the students and all other users of HEC portals will be enabled to make rapid, online payments. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The online payment facility will be integrated with HEC online system and the users of HEC portals will be able to submit online fee through M/s 1LINK for different services provided by HEC. The facility will cover online payment for local and foreign degree equivalence, national and foreign scholarship programmes, and Education Testing Council (ETC) tests in the first phase, and degree attestation in the second phase.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The main advantages of using online payment are to save time and introduce efficiency and transparency in line with the government's vision. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">In-charge Accounts Section HEC Mr. Parvez Iqbal and Chief Executive Officer M/s 1LINK Mr. Najeeb Agrawalla signed the MoU at HEC Secretariat, Islamabad. The ceremony was attended by Adviser (Coordination) HEC Mr. Awais Ahmed, Director Operations (PERN) Ch. Adullah Fayyaz Chattha, Director General (Finance) HEC Mr. Ghulam Nabi, Mr. Fawad Raza, Deputy Director (IT) HEC, Mr. Faisal Rafiq, Deputy Director (IT) HEC, Mr. Muhammad Awais Javed Satti, Assistant Director (IT) HEC, Ch. Hassan Abbas Gondal System Engineer (IT), Mr. Muhammad Bashir Khan, Chief Operating Officer, 1LINK and Mr. Umer Ansari, Head of Business Development, 1LINK.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Agrawalla remarked, "The customers of HEC will be able to use mobile banking, internet banking and over-the-counter practices across Pakistan. The customers will be able to make instant payments. The best part about 1LINK is that it is subjugated to Bank-agnostic model, which relates to all the major banks in Pakistan."</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Expressing his views, Mr. Ghulam Nabi said,<em> </em>"I am thankful to the 1LINK team for doing the signing ceremony and it would be a big change for HEC and for all the stakeholders of HEC. Through this, we hope that our attestation, equivalence, and scholarship related payment challenges throughout the world will resolve easily."</p><p style="text-align:justify;">In his remarks, Director General HEC IT Nazeer Hussain<em> </em>said that it is a big milestone in the direction of automation and facilitation for the public and was made possible with the support of dynamic leadership of HEC. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">==============</p><p><br></p> | 01-06-2022 12:02:00 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/HEC-Cashless-Payments.aspx |
| HEC Signs MoU with Five Universities in Collaboration with SMEDA | HEC Signs MoU with Five Universities in Collaboration with SMEDA | <p><img src="/english/news/news/PRPics/Picture%20-%20MoU.JPG" alt="" style="margin:5px;" /></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Islamabad, May 24, 2022:</strong> A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), Higher Education Commission (HEC) and five Universities for National Idea Lab initiative pilot phase was held at HEC Secretariat on Tuesday. The universities include National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, National Textile University (NTU) Faisalabad, Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) Peshawar, NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi, and Balochistan University of IT, Engineering and Management Sciences Quetta. Mr. Hashim Raza, CEO SMEDA, Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director HEC, and Vice Chancellors of the respective Universities signed the agreement.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The MoU is aimed to execute the National Idea Lab initiative which has been designed for enhanced cooperation on promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and incubation across Universities of Pakistan. The National Idea Lab will develop a co-creative and supportive environment – which will encourage students' entrepreneurial intent and at the same time support open innovation approach in collaboration between SMEs and universities. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Through NIL, the students and researchers will get the opportunity to develop and commercialize their ideas through entrepreneurship or in collaboration with existing SMEs. During this process student teams will have the opportunity to be mentored, guided, and advised through the NIL platform.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">In her remarks, Dr. Shaista Sohail said that the National Idea Lab initiative will further strengthen the Innovation and Commercialization efforts of HEC, and will act as a platform for the youth of Pakistan especially the final year students and fresh graduates. They will be provided with an opportunity to convert their innovative ideas into scalable businesses and contribute actively to the socio-economic development of Pakistan. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">Mr. Hashim Raza reiterated the need for collaborative efforts to promote and upscale the development of SME sector in Pakistan by providing the young and fresh talent with mentoring and capacity building. He said that there is much potential in technology, agriculture, and tourism sectors in Pakistan that can lead to increased foreign-direct investment in the country through the innovative SMEs. The Vice Chancellors of the partnering HEIs showed their continued commitment towards the NIL initiative and hoped that this initiative will further the innovation and commercialization ecosystem in Pakistan.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">==============</p><p><br></p> | 24-05-2022 13:12:59 | <img alt="" src="/english/PublishingImages/ThematicImages/HEC%20ICON-15.png" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://hec.gov.pk/english/news/news/Pages/MoU-SMEDA.aspx |