Moot highlights research, innovative educational practices

LAHORE

A conference on the theme of “Innovation and Internationalisation in Pakistani Higher Education” was held by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Management and Technology (UMT) in collaboration with George Mason University USA. 

Three years ago, both the institutions had started Collaboration for Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research (CFETR) to empower faculty through professional training. The purpose of the conference was to highlight research, innovative educational practice, and new knowledge generation in the modern context.

Addressing the inaugural session, US Council General, Lahore Yuriy Fedkiw said the US government recognised strong economic rows depended on strong educational system. He said the US Mission to Pakistan supported economic lines in the country through a number of initiatives that increased access to finance, improved workforce development skills, encouraged use of new technology, management practices, supported institutions of higher education and increased domestic and international trade. He said the US government had partnership with nine different universities in Punjab investing 9 million dollars through the US-Pakistan Academic Linkages Programme. 

He said the US supported academic linkages between UMT and George Mason University for the purpose of faculty development. Yuriy said US Mission in Pakistan wanted to help the universities improve curriculum and develop faculty for better professional results. He said far from traditional paradigm of teaching and research in higher education, universities were finding new ways to collaborate with one another for the development of higher education to uplift national and regional economies.

He said innovation and internationalization were key factors of success in the 21st century for higher educational institutions. He said United States was connecting professionals from Pakistan who were a part of an alumni consisting of more than 22000 individuals from across the country. Throwing light on US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor (UPKC), the council general said it would cater up to 10,000 Pakistani students pursuing their PhD studies in the United States in the next 10 years. He said there was clear correlation between US education and the country’s economic development.

In his welcome speech, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, rector UMT, said CFETR was fostering collaboration and strengthening ties between Pakistan and USA through faculty exchanges, joint research and scholarly work to further the collective understanding of effective pedagogical practices and expand research competencies. He acknowledged the efforts of Dr Rebacca Fox, Professor, GMU, for supporting and guiding the researchers through the whole process of research. CFETR is a part of the US-Pakistan University Partnership Programme, which is an academic linkages programme of the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Islamabad and funded by the US Department of State.

The outstanding forty CFETR fellows from UMT, GMU and other invited professionals shared their scholarship and research experiences in individual and roundtable sessions, plenary sessions, and interactive workshops during the last two days.

Co-curricular: Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said that co-curricular activities infuse confidence and broaden the intellectual ken of the students. 

Addressing the students of Government Fatima Jinnah College for Girls, Chuna Mandi here on Monday, he said participation in such activities also provided students an opportunity to stimulate particular skills to exhibit their individual talents. The function was arranged in connection with annually held stage-play “Waiting for Godot” written by Irish novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett. The play was staged by English Dramatic Society of English Department. The play was directed by Prof Gulshan Iqbal.  

The minister said intellectual activities encouraged students’ involvement which helped in broadening their intellect. He said the government was committed to provide best of the best education to the girl students so that they could emerge as team leaders in different fields. 

Raza Gillani announced that the issue of arranging a suitable access- road to the college would be dealt with on priority basis and said a summary would be initiated to the chief minister as it was an important issue. Earlier, the college principal Prof Shehnaz Kausar presented the welcome address. Later, Raza Gillani distributed shields among the students and faculty members. Ms Tayyaba Raza was declared best stage actor of the play by the jury members.