On the invitation of Turkish Council of Higher Education (COHE), a two-member delegation of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan led by Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC visited Ankara to sign the Document of Understanding for providing 80 PhD slots to Pakistani students in top ranked Turkish Universities.
As per agreement, COHE Turkey will allocate 80 PhD slots in top universities of Turkey and waive tuition fee or bring it to minimum, while HEC will facilitate travel and provide stipend to the selected scholars. Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç, President COHE signed the DoU.
Various other opportunities were also discussed with President COHE and Members of the Council, including joint researchers’ mobility grant programme entitled as “Pak-Turk Researchers’ Mobility Grant Programme”. Under the programme, HEC will fund travel of Pakistani researchers to Turkey while COHE will fund Turkish researchers’ travel to Pakistan.
Furthermore, Thematic Research Center in Material Sciences will be established in Pakistan with the coordination of Turkish Universities. It was also discussed that a Technology Park will be established in Pakistan and Turkish Universities will provide the technical assistance.
The President COHE showed great commitment to support Pakistani higher education institutions for joint research activities to produce multi-disciplinary research of national and international significance collaboration and to solve problems and anticipate the needs of indigenous and global industry and society. The President also gave detailed presentation on the role of COHE and its future roadmap.
The Chairman HEC also visited Middle Eastern Technical University (METU), and held a meeting with its Rector and Deans. METU has around 275 Pakistani students, studying in Bachelors, Masters and PhD programmes. Discussions focused faculty exchange programme and collaborative research in mutually beneficial areas.
The Chairman HEC also visited Techno Park at METU, where he met over 100 Pakistani students. The delegation also visited Bilkent University, where 19 HEC scholars are doing PhD in Engineering, Business and Natural Sciences subjects.
