Academics call for strengthening faculty to give strong mooring to society. PHOTO: FACEBOOK
This was announced by Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed while speaking at the second national symposium titled “Thematic Research in Social Sciences”, organised by the HEC, said a press release here on Wednesday.
The “Social Sciences Council of Pakistan” comprising professionals and social scientists will work for promotion of research in social sciences. The HEC will allocate separate funds for the council.
Scholars, social scientists and professionals, through their presentations, called for promoting research in social sciences to give the society a strong foundation and mooring. Vice chancellors of different universities, faculty members and students also attended the symposium.
The HEC chairman urged the participants to identify weak areas in social sciences which could be focused for result-oriented research.
“Social sciences are a very important area, but at the same time they are a missing link in our education system,” he said adding that it was our academic responsibility to strengthen the nation socially. Strengthening social sciences in the country is necessary to keep the foundation of society intact.
The HEC chairman said that the commission was giving due importance to all the three aspects of social sciences — academic, research and social outreach — and several steps have been taken in this regard. He said that Pakistan has gained the membership of Asian Social Sciences Association (ASSA) and efforts were afoot to hold the association’s meeting in Pakistan.
He said that the HEC allocates 30 per cent of its scholarships for social sciences and it has already doubled the budget for social sciences. Dr Mukhtar said that the existing budget for social sciences will further be enhanced in the next year.
He emphasised the need for setting up schools for research in social sciences to promote postgraduate research in the field.
While referring to the mushroom growth of illegal universities and campuses, he said that the HEC was against the use of higher education for commercial purposes. He urged the universities to pay special attention to improvement of governance and quality of education.
Adviser to the Balochistan Government Dr Kaisar Bengali stressed the need for conducting research on social issues.
Pakistan does not lack resources, however, the equitable distribution of resources was the need of the hour for national development.
Dr Bengali urged the students to rise up and vent their anger against the deteriorating situation in the country through productive research on critical issues of the society.
“If we have to make the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project a game changer, we will have to make supplementary investment as well.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2016.
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