Agreement signed with HEC and IIUI on enhancing cooperation and collaboration. PHOTO: FILE
This was disclosed as the Shenzhen University (SZU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) at the commission’s secretariat on Thursday. The agreement was signed by HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri and SZU President Professor Li Qingquan.
The two sides will deliberate on establishing institutional linkages between SZU and Pakistani universities apart from making SZU the latest Chinese varsity to become a member of the Chinese Association of Higher Education and HEC Pakistan Consortium.
Earlier while addressing the SZU delegation, Dr Banuri appreciated the varsity for providing opportunities to Pakistani students to pursue doctoral and post-doctoral studies in China.
“We wish to further strengthen this relationship, particularly in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” Dr Banuri said, adding that China is one of Pakistan’s leading partners in the development of higher education.
“Since different special economic zones are planned to be established in Pakistan under CPEC, we would like to learn from SZU’s experience as to how it became instrumental for the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.”
The HEC chief further told the delegation about the commission’s transnational education policy in which foreign universities had been encouraged to start their campuses and sub-campuses in Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani universities had been encouraged to start their operations in foreign countries.
Prof Qingquan said that while SZU has a relatively short history of just 40 years — enrolling its first students in 1983, it has swiftly developed during this time with over 34,000 students, including 5,500 postgraduates and over 1,500 international students and has staked its place in global university rankings.
“Our university is located in a newly-built special economic zone and has achieved the status of the fastest-rising university in China and abroad,” he said. “Among other things, we have also focused on the internationalisation of our university, including increased collaborations with universities across the world and attracting more and more students from other countries to study at SZU,” he said, adding that they also expect collaborations with universities in Pakistan and that students from various disciplines visit China for a first-hand experience of China’s development.
“At the moment, 76 Pakistani scholars are studying in our university and we expect that our recent visit would get us a young and talented pool of Pakistani scholars,” he added.
During the meeting, HEC’s Human Resource Development Adviser Wasim Hashmi gave a presentation on the progress of Pakistan’s higher education sector since the commission’s establishment in 2002. He said that the main focus of the collaboration with SZU will be research, faculty and student exchanges, doctoral and post-doctoral opportunities for Pakistani students and discussion on the possible establishment of SZU campus in Pakistan.
SZU at IIUI
Later, the SZU delegation visited the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) in Islamabad.
SZU and IIUI agreed to enhance mutual cooperation for advanced exchange and collaboration in education, culture and also vowed to provide better opportunities to students through bilateral cooperation. Both sides signed a document on exchanging views and making roadmaps for joint degree programmes, exchange of information, joint research projects, conferences, seminars on academia and industry linkage and joint inter-disciplinary and mutual research in various fields.
Prof Qingquan hoped that bilateral cooperation between IIUI and Shenzhen would be very productive.
IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai called for sitting together to making a roadmap for experience sharing, students opportunities and joint projects.
Dr Yasinzai also stressed upon bridging the gap between academia and the prevailing industry. He noted that SZU and IIUI had a number of similar programmes which can be chosen for a detailed mutual cooperation project.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2019.
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