Pakistan-UK Education Gateway: ‘Varsities need to prepare students for the future’

Education minister says govt identified areas of focus for development


News Desk November 27, 2018
Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood and British HC Thomas Drew launch Pak-UK Education Gateway. PHOTO: EXPRESS

With hundreds of locally and foreign-trained scholars finding themselves out of work, the federal education minister on Monday urged varsities to prepare students for future challenges apart from working to provide quality and relevant higher education.

He said this as the Pakistan-UK Education Gateway was launched at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat in Islamabad on Monday.

Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said that Pakistan has a long way to go in its efforts to develop the higher education sector.

Identifying challenges facing the higher education sector, he said the country needs to exert tremendous efforts on improving the quality and ensuring relevance of higher education and research.

He urged the vice chancellors of Pakistani varsities to prepare students for future challenges and work on improving the methodology of imparting knowledge, as the knowledge-base of the future will be different to what it is now.

Mahmood further said that the capacity building of teachers was an important factor in the provision of quality education adding, the government would utilise all possible resources for the capacity building of faculties.

“It is also imperative to develop skills of our youth in consonance with job market needs,” he said, maintaining that as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government completes its 100 days, it has identified the areas which require greater focus for the socio-economic development of the country.

Earlier, HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri said Pakistan and the UK have developed an outstanding academic relationship with as many as 386 Pakistani scholars having completed their doctorate (PhDs) studies from UK universities in recent years.

“It is a brilliant start. Yet, we want to take it not only to thousands but to tens of thousands [of students],” he stated. He stressed the need for developing the bilateral academic relationship in a way which helps Pakistan build up its universities.

The HEC chief underscored that global parity is essential to help future generations address emerging challenges.

“We need to train our children to be global citizens, as we know for sure that the challenges they will face will be of a global nature,” he stated.

He emphasised that all academic institutions need a strategy to enhance global engagement. He further observed that amid this rapid expansion and tremendous cultural change, two areas including quality and relevance need more attention.

He said the HEC plans on greater integration of programmes, as the time has come to give social sciences and humanities their due.

“The successful future of several million young people is in our hands, as they have great expectations and aspirations,” said British Council Country Director Rosemary Hilhorst.

She added that through the latest partnership, UK’s knowledge and expertise will be brought to Pakistan and support HEC’s ambition of developing and building the capacity of higher education institutions in the country.

“We look forward to working with the HEC and our UK partners in making this gateway a success and adding value to bilateral and mutually beneficial relationships,” she added.

There are seven elements of the Pakistan-UK Gateway. From research partnerships; helping to find PhD scholarships for Pakistani students; supporting leadership development and introducing quality assurance systems; bringing more opportunities through distance learning; more Pakistani students studying in the UK; building on Pakistan’s position as a market for transnational education and finally a compulsory three-credit course on citizenship- modelled on active citizens.

The gateway features split PhD programmes, full-fledged PhD programmes, student and faculty exchange, easy student mobility, the involvement of funding agencies and research entities, quality and governance at higher education institutions, and capacity building through short training programmes.

The programme also features additional investment of £1 million for funding research and partnership grants; the development of a research excellence framework; building the capacity of Pakistan’s research and doctoral base.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2018.

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