Magazine October 2010 - Higher Education Commission

Commission Events
Qualified Faculty Essential to Improve Working
of Pakistan Study Centres: Dr. Naqvi
“The performance of Pakistan
Study Centres (PSC) can never
improve without induction of
highly-qualified faculty. The
Centres are not taking full
advantage of different schemes
of HEC for research and
development activities.”
This was stated by Dr. Sohail
Naqvi, Executive Director,
Higher Education Commission
while talking to the Directors of
Pakistan Study Centres (PSCs) in
a meeting recently held at HEC
Secretariat.
The meeting, held to evaluate
the performance of Centres as
well as discuss their future
course of action, was also
attended by Dr. Mujahid Kamran,
Vice Chancellor, University of the
Punjab and Dr. Azmat Hayat
Khan, Vice Chancellor, University
of Peshawar and was joined by
Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui,
V i c e C h a n c e l l o r Ka ra c h i
U n i v e r s i t y v i a v i d e o
conferencing. Dr. Altaf Ali G.
Shaikh, Member Academics HEC
was also present on the
occasion.
Pakistan Study Centres were
established to engage in the
study of languages, literature,
social structure, attitudes and
motivation of the people of
various regions of the country.
Their aim was to promote
teaching cooperation in interdisciplinary
relationship with
other teaching and research
establishments.
“It must be clear that unless you
hire qualified PhD faculty, no
research and development
activity is going to succeed. The
whole system of higher
education revolves around
faculty,” said Dr. Naqvi.
While stressing the significance
of these Centres, Dr. Naqvi
urged the Directors to move
forward in collaboration with
each other. He appreciated Dr.
Mujahid Kamran for offering a
platform to the Directors of PSCs
for discussion and devising a
joint strategy to enhance the
standard of these Centres.
He dispelled the impression that
HEC has stopped financial
support for research grants,
travel grants, organization of
conferences, strengthening
libraries and short term faculty
support, etc. Even some of the
Centres received substantial
amounts but that was not
utilized, so all of you need to be
proactive,” he said.
Regarding the issue of quality
intake at post graduate level, Dr.
Naqvi said that enrolment versus
quality problem could be easily
solved if students are admitted
at undergraduate level and
groomed for higher studies at
these Centres.
The Executive Director said that
different Centres should also
collaborate for bringing out
research journals. “It is not
necessary that each Centre has
its own journal.” He also urged
the participants to utilize the
video-conferencing facility as a
tool for temporary support.
Those who attended the
meeting included Dr. Qalb-i-
Abid, Chairman, Department of
History, University of the Punjab,
Dr. Abdullah Khan, Director PSC,
University of Peshawar, Dr.
Musarrat Abid, Director PSC,
University of the Punjab, Dr.
Khalida Jamali, Director PSC,
University of Sindh, Dr. Syed
Jaffar Ahmad, Director PSC,
University of Karachi, Dr.
Bahadur Khan Rodini, Director
PSC, University of Balochistan,
and Dr. Tariq Rahman, Director,
National Institute of Pakistan
S t u d i e s , Q u a i d - i - A z a m
University.
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