HEC launches new e-portal system named Pakistan Qualification Register

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Friday launched the Pakistan Qualification Register (PQR) – an e-portal system to let stakeholders know about the HEC-approved programmes being offered in Pakistani universities and degree awarding institutions.

An HEC official said the PQR was an online database which contained information regarding accredited higher qualifications and institutions recognised by the HEC in the public and private sector universities, including their sub-campuses and constituent colleges.

“The PQR is aimed to provide clearly defined levels of knowledge, skills and competencies to be acquired by every graduate.”

According to him, the HEC started developing a ‘Quali      cation Framework’ for the higher education sector in 2009 and took necessary steps to develop tools for implementing the framework covering all the HEC-chartered public and private higher education institutions in the country.

“The PQR is a level-based and outcomes focused mechanism. It sets out the levels on which a qualification can be recognised in Pakistan. It encompasses a comprehensive list of all quality assured qualifications. Each accredited qualification has been assigned a level. It consists of Entry Level-1 to Level-8, describing the difficulty of qualifications at each level.”

The HEC official said the PQR had been structured to help learners to make informed decisions about the qualification required and that it would help employers to assess what qualification a candidate had achieved. He said it would help in establishing the national standards of qualifications as well as provide a basis for comparison of qualifications at the national and international levels.

Furthermore, he added, it would help in international recognition of academic qualifications and would also facilitate trans-national mobility of graduates and learners in addition to be used as an instrument for qualitative reforms in the education system.