HEC sets up National Technology Council to regulate degree programmes

Karachi

The Higher Education Commission has established the National Technology Council (NTC), an accreditation council, to monitor and accredit technology related degree programmes, a senior HEC official told The News on Wednesday.

According to him, Major General (retd) Akbar Saeed Awan and Dr Kausar Malik have been appointed as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the council respectively.

He said the NTC had been assigned to take into consideration different aspects for accreditation of degree programmes in technology related subjects, including overall structure and scope of the programme, curricula, requisite infrastructure, faculty, level of compatibility with international standards and trends, level of skill development, level of integration of science and technology, student support, laboratory facilities, facilities for student activities and other amenities. 

“Different programmes whose accreditation will come under the NTC's purview include, though not limited to, B-Tech Honours, BSc/BS Technology, Animal Production and Technology, Biotechnology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Emergency and Intensive Care Technology, Medical Imaging Technology, Dental Technology, Operation Theatre Technology, Mortuary Technology, Food Sciences and Technology, Nanotechnology and Information Technology.”

HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed hoped that establishing the NTC would be of great help in streamlining all the technology-related education.

He said the council will also take care of technology courses other than engineering technology, and would be responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance criteria in all the respective disciplines.

Appreciating retired Major General Akbar Saeed Awan for accepting post, he hoped that Awan would bring the much-needed reforms and restructuring of the technology.

Ahmed also appreciated other council’s members for their interest and participation.

The chairman added that establishment of three technology universities was already in the pipeline, including the National Skills University in Islamabad, the KPK Technology University and another being setup by the Frontier Works Organisation.

He also said that the Punjab government had also shown interest to establish a technology university.

The recently constituted council will hold its first meeting at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad on Tuesday evening to discuss its working area and procedures, according to another HEC official.

The Quality Assurance Agency of the HEC would provide support to the newly formed council, he mentioned.

According to him, the NTC has representation from the HEC, the Ministry of Science and  Technology, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, the Ministry of Industries and Production, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Pakistan Engineering Council, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, the National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council, the National Computing Education and Accreditation Council, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, vice chancellors of the public and private sector universities offering technology programmes, one from each province, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Federal Area.