ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): A delegation from the University of Terbuka, Indonesia’s leading open university, visited Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday to foster collaboration and discuss opportunities and key challenges in the realm of distant learning programs.

Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum, Executive Director HEC chaired the meeting. Led by its Rector Prof. Ojat Darojat, the University’s delegation included faculty members representing various departments and experts in distant learning programs.

Dr. Muhammad Latif Gondal, Executive Director (Planning and Monitoring) Allama Iqbal Open University, Awais Ahmed, Adviser Quality Assurance HEC and other divisional heads attended the meeting.

The University of Terbuka is Indonesia’s prominent open university, providing accessible and flexible education through distance learning. Established in 1984, the University’s programs cover a wide array of disciplines, offering degrees at various levels.

The meeting aimed at enhancing HEC’s efforts advancing quality of higher education, fostering international cooperation, and addressing the evolving challenges faced by institutions in the field of distance learning.

Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum appreciated the University of Terbuka’s credibility by achieving a remarkable rate of access to higher education through its distant learning programs.

He emphasized that by ensuring the quality of online education, particularly in terms of robust quality assurance measures, trust in the online mode of education can be developed and strengthened.

“The Government of Pakistan has been a staunch advocate of distance learning to improve access rates in the country. HEC is supporting Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) to increase the number of students, particularly in tertiary education, aligning with the government’s vision for enhanced accessibility to higher education,” he said.

Both sides deliberated on strategies to create an environment conducive to the success and integration of students within the distant learning system.

Various operational, auditing and implementation challenges in the distant learning programs also came under discussion. The meeting also discussed employability of Pakistani students in the University of Terbuka.

The delegation shared the mechanism of Management Review Committee (MRC) with HEC officials, which aims to ensure that the academic programs remain aligned with contemporary educational needs and global standards. Modalities of online management for specific fields such as agriculture and science studies were a key point of interest during the discussions.

Both institutions explored innovative approaches to enhance the online delivery of education in these specialized areas.

The meeting also discussed the agenda for the second round of visit where representatives from HEC’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) will finalise the modalities for collaboration.