HEC, SMEDA ink MoU for strategic partnership
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership for enhanced cooperation on promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and incubation at Pakistani universities.
HEC Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail and SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Hashim Raza inked the MoU during a virtual ceremony on Tuesday.
It was informed that HEC is successfully running two of its flagship programmes, Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORICs) and Business Incubation Centres (BICs), extending services and facilitation to researchers, academicians, and students for research, innovation, commercialisation and incubation.
The attendants were also briefed that SMEDA, through its recently approved National SME Policy Action Plan, aims to facilitate the universities of Pakistan in the fields of entrepreneurship and incubation.
The MoU will enable HEC and SMEDA to work collectively on areas of mutual interest for effective resource mobilisation and the achievement of aligned objectives.
The main areas of collaboration include facilitation and support of incubation centres at universities.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2021.