Minister urges impactful education partnerships

ISLAMABAD:

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday chaired a meeting on the "Framework for Processing Concept Proposals for New Projects under the Pakistan-UK Education Gateway Phase 2".

Iqbal emphasized the need for a robust mechanism to assess the impact of grants, stressing that the outcomes of each project should be aligned with Pakistan's development priorities. "Despite significant investments in science and technology, our output in terms of high-quality research professionals remains limited," he noted.

"We need a focused approach to engage top-tier researchers who can make a meaningful impact on Pakistan's diverse sectors. This should include partnerships with high-ranking universities to elevate research standards," he remarked.

The minister underscored the importance of ensuring that visits by Pakistani researchers to the UK served a clear purpose, contributing to institutional capacity-building and delivering tangible benefits upon their return. "Each visit should be impactful, with clear evaluations on what was achieved and how it has translated into reforms or strengthened academic institutions," he added.

During the meeting, officials from the relevant departments briefed participants on the achievements of the Pakistan-UK Education Gateway Phase 1, highlighting that the British Council successfully facilitated 21 Research Travel Grants and eight large-scale research partnership grant projects.