FAISALABAD, Jul 04 (APP):Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, on Friday said that research and development clusters will be set up in order to integrate R&D strength among all universities of the Punjab.
He was chairing a Vice Chancellors’ meeting at Syndicate Room, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali, GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-i-Azam, GCWUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Kanwal Ameen, Vice Chancellors of different universities including Dr Faheem Aftab, Dr Zafar Ali Ch, Dr Yasir Nawab, Dr Zubair, Dr Bushra Mirza, Dr Saeed, Dr Ashfaq, Dr Sajjad Mubin and others also attended the meeting.
Dr Iqrar Ahmad said it is prerequisite to break the silos among the scientists of universities to ensure national development based on the knowledge economy. He directed the Vice Chancellor to propose research centers in collaboration with other higher education institutions. He also clarified that the clusters will be established without the bricks and mortars by finding best brains of different fields and funding will be provided to run sustainable R&D activities. He said that the centers would range from science, agriculture, engineering to arts and humanities etc.
He told the meeting that governance and institutional reforms were being made in Higher Education institutions to enhance the performance keeping the challenges in view.
He also sought the recommendations from the Vice Chancellors for the cause. He said that framework will be carried out for public private partnership for the universities that will help commercialize the latest technologies and research.
He said that mushroom growth of affiliated colleges was hampering quality of education and this matter should be addressed by Vice Chancellors. He also directed universities to establish HR offices, strengthen financial aid and business incubation centers. He said that they are collaborating with the Civil Service Academy for the training of Vice Chancellors and in August a week long training session will be carried out for 23 newly appointed Vice Chancellors.
He also discussed the establishment of dedicated Honhaar units on campus to oversee scholarship activities.
He said that many talented students cannot avail the opportunity of higher education due to financial constraints. “The government is providing ample scholarships to enrolled students but students from the deprived segment of society cannot even take admission because they do not have money to pay the first fee essential to take admission,” he added.
He said that students whose names appeared on merit list are now able to take admission on scholarship without paying any money and the mechanism is being evolved in this regard. He also directed higher education institutes to nominate educators for TEOSL and the global open course being run by US Department of State.
He also asked the Vice Chancellors to mobilize the faculty and students to avail Google career certification program.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali said that the UAF has sought the proposal from the scientists for research centers especially to address issues of food security, livestock, climate change and water.
He said that institutional reforms are need of the hour in higher education to ensure the quality manpower and research.
He said that the university was housing research projects with the help of international centers including Center for Advanced Studies, Pak Korea Nutrition Center, Confucius Institute, Seed Center and others.
Prof Dr Rauf-i-Azam said that his institution was taking all possible measures to produce trained manpower.
Prof Dr Kanwal Ameen praised the step of PHEC being taken for education reforms in Punjab.
