Karachi : The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Chairman (HEC) Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar has said that all the issues existing between HEC Pakistan and the provincial higher education commissions (HECs) will be resolved soon. In this regard, he gave an example that, in Sindh, a committee headed by the Chairman of Sindh HEC, Dr. Tariq Rafi, has been constituted, which consists of members from Sindh universities. It will identify the issues existing between Sindh HEC and HEC Pakistan and make suggestions for their resolution.
He said this at while speaking at the ceremony held at the Senate Hall of the Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) after inaugurating the smart classroom set up under the “Higher Education Development in Pakistan Project” (HEDP) at SMIU. The HEC Pakistan chairman said that he has united HEC Pakistan and the provincial HECs since assuming the office of chairman, which is considered one of his achievements.
Speaking on the curriculum of universities, Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar said that the curriculum set by HEC Pakistan is only a guideline, while the teachers of the universities should work on it and finalize it. “An expert we invite stays for three or four days and introduces some changes into the curriculum, but a teacher who has been teaching a subject in a university for ten to fifteen years can make that subject better. Therefore, the undergraduate and postgraduate policies of the HEC Pakistan are simply guidelines for universities, taking help from which the universities can arrange the curriculum according to the requirements of the country,” the Chairman said, and added that every university has its own statutory bodies like Boards of Studies, Boards of Faculties, Academic Council, Syndicate, and Senate; these all, with the help of the senior faculty, can work better on the curriculum. He said that the main goal of all of us is that our students get better, quality, and modern education and training.
The HEC Pakistan Chairman said that whatever degrees our universities offer, they should be accepted in national and international institutions. We should keep the well-being of our graduates in mind.
Speaking on the historical role of Sindh Madressatul Islam University, Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar said, being the alma mater of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, this is the national institution of the country. He said that he should have visited this historical institution earlier, but today he feels proud to visit it. Praising the vice chancellor of SMIU, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai, the chairman of HEC Pakistan, said that he has contributed a lot towards SMIU’s betterment and quality education, which is commendable work.
Talking about PhDs, the chairman of HEC Pakistan said that we have a large number of PhDs, and research papers are also being written and published, but how much impact they have on their surroundings, society, and the nation should be seen. He said that research that does not have a positive impact on society is of no use.
Earlier, the vice chancellor of SMIU, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai, thanked the chairman of HEC Pakistan for visiting SMIU. Speaking on the historical role of SMIU, he said that this institution has been providing quality education to its every new generation for the past 141 years, and its role as a university has expanded since 2012. Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai said that after coming to SMIU as the vice chancellor in 2020, he has prioritized research along with quality education. As a result of his policies, there has been a huge increase in students’ enrollment. Also started to produce PhDs. Currently, despite the limited space in the institution, more than 6,000 students are studying.
Speaking on the role of HEC, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai said that HEC Pakistan is a great need of the country, but along with it, provincial HECs are also of great importance; however, he said that there are a lot of duplications that need to be resolved. He praised the role of Sindh HEC and its Chairman Dr. Tariq Rafi and said that Sindh HEC is doing a great job with the help of the Sindh government, which has given a better direction to higher education in the province. He said that we are all playing our role together for the betterment of higher education in the country.
At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai presented the shield and the English translation of the biography of Hassanally Effendi, founder of SMI, published by the university, which was done by Assistant Professor Wafa Mansoor Buriro, and an Ajrak to the chairman of HEC Pakistan.
In the ceremony, former Vice Chancellor of Mehran University Dr. Muhammad Aslam Uqaili, Vice Chancellor of Sukkur IBA University Dr. Asif Ahmed Shaikh, Director General of Regional Center HEC Mr. Sulaiman Ahmed, Mr. Niaz Ahmed Khaskheli, Deans of SMIU, Chairpersons of various departments, faculty, and officers participated. On this occasion, the Chairman of HEC Pakistan also visited the Jinnah Museum of SMIU.
