Magazine October 2010 - Higher Education Commission

University News
Roundtable Conference
Federal-Provinces
Role and Responsibilities
in Education
Eminent scholar Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais termed
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the 18 amendment as an expression of
broad-based national consensus. “We should
not be afraid of change instead we need to get
lessons from similar experiences of other
federations regarding distribution of powers
and responsibilities,” he added.
Another noted academician Dr. Jaffer Ahmad
said, “We should trust the abilities of
provinces, whose role in developing their own
curricula would promote cultural diversity and
it would enhance Pakistan's image.”
The Centre for Civic Education Pakistan (CCEP), a
renowned Research and Development Organization, and
Forum of Federations recently organized a roundtable
conference entitled “Federal-Provinces Role and
Responsibilities in Education." Representatives of
education departments from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, vice chancellors of
different universities, officials of Federal Education
Ministry, Higher Education Commission, educationists and
representatives of civil society from across the country
attended the conference.
The participants welcomed the devolution of education
sector to provinces but stressed the need for Federal role
in development of Education Policy and curriculum to
foster national unity. It was emphasized that this
devolution may create short-term difficulties but it would
have far-reaching positive impacts in improving standards.
Dr. Syed Mehmood Raza, Adviser (Quality
Assurance and Learning Innovation) HEC
highlighted different steps undertaken by
HEC in order to improve teaching and
research at HEIs. Mr. Zafarullah Khan,
Executive Director, CCEP stressed the need to
explore new options and possibilities for
getting full benefit from opportunities in the
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post-18 Amendment situation.
Prominent among others who spoke on the
occasion included Dr. Neelofar Halai, Mr.
Abbas Rasheed, Mr. Jami Chandio, Dr. Shahid
Siddiqi, Mian Imran Masood, Dr. Masoom
Yasinzai, Dr. Afzal Babur, Dr. Sarfaraz Khan,
Dr. Ihsan Ali, Dr. Syed Sakhawat Shah, Ms.
Sultana Baloch, Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, Mr. T.
M. Quershi and Dr. Muhammad Saleem.
AAUR Relief Efforts for Flood Affectees
An eight-member team of volunteers from the Khushab
Campus of Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (AAUR),
including faculty members and students, established a
flood relief camp in flood affected area of District Khushab.
The team provided free outdoor treatment facility to the
flood affected livestock, besides collaborating with the
Livestock and Dairy Development Department for
vaccination of animals. The team set relief
camps in Sandral, Hamoka, Dhak and Talokar
and their peripheries Ghag, Nurwana, Kora,
Jasowal, Diauwal, Bansi, Balwal and Jhugian.
The most prevalent problems seen by team in
this area were pneumonia, indigestion,
lameness, mastitis, enteritis, allergy, snake
bite, septic wound, toxemia, etc.
Dr. Riaz Ahmad Honoured
Prof. Dr. Riaz Ahmad, Director, Quality
Enhancement Cell, Arid Agriculture
University, Rawalpindi participated in the
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12 IUPAC International Congress of
Pesticide Chemistry held in Melbourne,
Australia. As an invited speaker, his
presentation was part of the symposium
entitled “Risk Assessment Approaches for
Developing Countries”. The IUPAC committee
on pesticides honoured Dr. Riaz Ahmad by
including his name in the International
Committee on Pesticides.
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