Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to collaborate in higher education

Islamabad: Afghan Ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal and HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed on Sunday agreed to work on a joint venture which would be finalised with approval of both countries.

The ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat in Islamabad. He was accompanied by Second Secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs Jallat Khan Zahid Fayaz.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed welcomed the delegates and presented an overview of HEC’s initiatives and achievements during last 13 years. He explained how government’s commitment to develop higher education and a considerable increase in funding has brought remarkable changes in the sector.

The HEC chairman said that the primary focus of HEC is to develop human resource in all disciplines and providing ample opportunities to faculty, research scholars and students to harness their potential.

“Areas having a direct impact on country’s socio-economic growth have been prioritised. Encouraging and funding innovative and relevant research, entrepreneurship, ensuring adherence to quality assurance criteria, developing physical and technological infrastructure, improving governance at universities are some of the key areas where the HEC has put its maximum effort,” he said.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that both Afghanistan and Pakistan have a number of commonalities in their society and culture and have always enjoyed a brotherly relationship, adding that education is the biggest tool to further strengthen this association.

 The Afghan ambassador thanked the people of Pakistan for hosting three million refugees for over three decades. He agreed that cooperation in the field of education will play a key role in bringing the government and people of the two countries more closer to each other. Both sides agreed to work on a joint mechanism to be finalised with approval of both countries. The HEC chairman also offered help to Afghanistan for improving quality of higher education, curriculum development, teacher training and other areas.