Inter-university collaboration vital for strengthening social sciences: Nizamuddin

Islamabad
Inter-university collaboration within and outside country are vital for strengthening social sciences in Pakistan. Pakistan has among the lowest accessibility higher education 8%, among the 17-23 years old as compared to Bangladesh 12%, India 18%, Indonesia 23%, Turkey 39% and South Korea 95%.
This was stated by renowned social scientist and newly appointed Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nizamuddin (SI) during a reception hosted in his honour by Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (IUCPSS) here at Islamabad Club. The ceremony was well attended by the vice chancellors, senior academicians, diplomats, heads and representatives of international, national organizations and civil society.
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nizamuddin said that the main issues in higher education sector of Pakistan include: low quality of higher education, lack of trained faculty, non-relevance of university towards socio-economic needs of the country, allocation of less funds for higher education and low priority to college education. All these issues need immediate attention through collaborative efforts and support of international community. He emphasized over enforcing consultative based reforms to improve quality and standards of higher education and research in the provinces in view of the local conditions and needs. While appreciating the efforts of inter-university consortium, he said that Punjab HEC would benefit from the expertise and experience of the consortium in addressing the socio-economic problems being confronted by the province. He also suggested that there should be a commission for schools also. Research of universities is not useful for industry. “Our universities are not doing research for public policies they are doing researches for publications only. Nothing concrete is coming out of it. Due to the high demand we should share our resources,” he said.
IUCPSS Pakistan Chairman and University of Haripur Vice Chancellor Dr. Nasser Ali Khan while giving the welcome address said the purpose of forming IUCPSS was to bring together peripheral universities of Social Sciences and integrating them into mainstream education and strengthening them. “I feel proud to be a part of this wonderful idea that was translated into practice by leading social scientists and academicians on 23rd January 2012 at Bahawalpur. The major activities of this consortium includes faculty development/exchange in collaboration with leading foreign universities, exchange of students and scholars, joint research papers and linkages with other national and international organisations, joint seminars, conferences, and workshops, miscellaneous academic and co-curricular activities , sharing of facilities and expertise among consortium members and Diploma / certificate courses on Civic / Human Rights Education.
President American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) Prof. Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali appreciated the contribution and efforts of inter-university consortium for improving the state of social sciences in Pakistan and brining Pakistani and foreign universities closer to one another. “We also need to appreciate and encourage inter-university collaborations within and outside the country so that higher education institutions could benefit from one another expertise and experiences”, he remarked.
Vice Chancellor of University of Peshawar & Chairman National Vice Chancellors Committee Prof. Dr. Rasul Jan suggested special attention towards dying out disciplines of social sciences.
Prof. Dr. Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur; Prof. Dr. Syed Khawaja Alqama, Vice Chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, and Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali, Vice Chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, also spoke on the occasion.
They greeted to Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nizamuddin and appreciated the decision of the government of the Punjab for appointing a senior academician as head of Punjab HEC. They also assured the Punjab HEC chairperson their utmost cooperation in promoting higher education and making universities research more relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country.