Chairman HEC Vows To Meet Global Challenges Taking Drastic Measures

MAHTAB BASHIR
0333 53 63 248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
ISLAMABAD

Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has said that in his expected stipulated tenure of two-years as Chief of the Commission, he will, first up, consult the high-ups of all public and private universities, HEI’s and stakeholders to devise a roadmap for national security, water crisis, climate change, food security, health issues to cope these current global challenges to secure our posterity. 

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed

talking to this scribe, the newly appointed Chairman HEC while waning the expression that the present financial crunch varsities are facing is the biggest challenge, said “It’s not at all a financial issue, it’s a mal-administrative and mal-governance issue- we will have to rectify with immediate effect,” he said.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed maintained that “since its inception, a lot has been done for the uplift of higher education sector, people who think for the last few years, HEC has done nothing better as a “Clash of Titans’ in the recent past damages the Commission reputation- is not true. It was, he kept on saying, our higher education sector that created the space in the world in a very short time. I, also disagree saying that the government does not support this sector. But, we must forget about the past to make headway for future with a ray of hope and a positive attitude,” he said.

“For the last so many years, I’ve kept on ignoring few of those (persons) involved in damaging the reputation of our national institutions, higher education sector and also found guilty of my personal character assassination. I’m not a man of vendetta, but I admonish them all to mend their nefarious actions ASAP.” Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC

Now, it’s a testing time for me as well to meet all the challenges. I have an edge for being here again, that I know this institution inside out. “I have given precious thirteen years of my life to this institution. I will soon change the negative perception of HEC into a positive one. I am least bothered whether, the policy makers revert the amendment (of two years into four years), but I assure the nation that I will work as hard in two years that others might dream of reaching to that milestone in four years, perhaps,” Dr Mukhtar vows.

The HEC chief said in the past, we started working on smart universities concepts, but we could not prepare enough to benefit from it in the Covid-19 phase- which caused immense problems for our education system. “Now, the higher education sector all over the world is shifted to a hybrid mode, we must immediately follow it. The coming era is all about skills. Now, in near future, classrooms and books might become obsolete, we must learn and employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our education system,” he maintain.

Talking about the past, Commission Chairman said, “I believe, in the past few years, HEC has not taken all the stakeholders on board, in particular, on the PhD and Undergraduate Policy, which was approved by the Commission. I will, within few days, invite all stakeholders including Vice Chancellors to review this policy,” he said.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said HEC will take forward the agenda of improving quality of teaching and research in higher education institutions and the universities will be encouraged and supported to play a proactive role for socio-economic growth of the country. “HEC will bring together universities, research organisations and other government departments to jointly work on presenting solutions to the problems facing the country, especially water depletion and flooding, food security, climate change, and country’s security,” he said lamenting these issues are global, I will be surprised to talk about senior faculty members of varsities to work on these issues, rather they are ought to teach me about it, but… , yes, I am here to work on and work hard.

The Chairman pointed out that quality, governance and technology-readiness as the major challenges facing the higher education sector, and assured that HEC will put more efforts for continuous improvement in quality and governance. We will also review research methodology, research journals, plagiarism policy, Commission (board) members, VC’s Search Committee and so on, he said adding we will upgrade our courses in all disciplines to make them market-oriented. 

He said HEC is committed to the mandate of enhancing access, improving quality and ensuring relevance, but added that HEC will emphasise care in expanding the higher education sector. He asserted that the government has shown its strong commitment to supporting the higher education sector despite challenges.

“I assure the Vice Chancellors, faculty, and students that HEC will facilitate all of you. And we will work together for development of higher education sector,” he said, affirming that HEC’s role as a regulatory body will be to streamline the processes and improve the quality standards.”

Dr. Mukhtar hoped that the public and private sectors will jointly work to enhance their contributions towards the development of Pakistan.