Way forward: Updated, uniform engineering courses to be developed, says HEC

Core objective is to liaise between academia and industry.

ISLAMABAD:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Monday approved the formation of a Pakistan Technology Council (PTC) aimed at standardising the field of engineering and technology and building linkages among stakeholders.

The approval for the council was given in the HEC Commission’s seventh meeting that was chaired by HEC Chairman Dr Javed Laghari. The council will facilitate the HEC in developing necessary guidelines on accreditation, registration and adopting recognised practices in engineering and technology, said an official. Its main function include developing curriculum for technology, imparting scientific and technical training and maintaining quality assurance, he added.

The council will also review the current curricula of engineering and technology to bring them at par with international standards and liaise between the academia and industries. Council members will include a chairman and vice chairman, representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ministry of Education and Training, a representative of Pakistan Engineering Council and two members from leading technology-related industries, representatives from National Vocational and Technical Trainings and representatives of provincial vocational and technical training departments.

Vice chancellors of all the country’s engineering and technology universities will also be members of the council which will be a federal body, supported by HEC. HEC Executive Director Sohail Naqvi said PTC would be an autonomous body. He said there were serious gaps in the technological field due to non-standardised courses offered by local universities. The basic objective of establishing the council is to improve the quality of engineering technology education, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2012.