Education Minister Orders HEC to Grant Funds to Universities on Basis of Performance

The Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain, has instructed that future funding for universities should be tied to their performance.

The Minister said, “Future funding must be linked to the performance of universities, which should be advised to enhance the quality of their teaching and research. Our higher learning institutions must focus on enhancing the skills of students and special measures should be taken to impart technical education as per latest industry trends.”

The Minister visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat, where Chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, provided a briefing on the commission’s performance over the last 20 years, the challenges facing the country’s higher education sector, and the steps being taken to improve the quality of higher education.

He recognized the financial difficulties facing the HEC and commended its performance despite these challenges. The Minister also emphasized the need for more stringent measures to ensure quality at all levels of higher education. He stated that institutions of higher learning should be regularly monitored, and any institution found to violate quality standards should be advised to fulfill all necessary requirements.

Chairman HEC informed the Minister that since its inception, the HEC has not only helped increase the number of higher education institutions to 249 but has also made significant efforts to improve the quality of education and research in Pakistan.

He also discussed the scholarship programs offered by the HEC to make education more accessible to students, especially those from disadvantaged and remote areas. He also highlighted the international scholarship opportunities provided by the HEC that enable Pakistani students to study at top universities around the world.