AIOU wins HEC’s research grants

Islamabad

Faculty of Education, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) achieved the distinction of wining over Higher Education Commission (HEC) special grants against its five research-based projects.

This was in addition to HEC's thematic research grant against the Faculty's two others programmes. The achievement was the result of hectic research-based activities, pursued by the university during last two and half years, in accordance with futuristic vision of the varsity's Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui.

According to the Dean, Faculty of Education Dr Nasir Mahmood, the department was also having funding from a NGO, PARWAN for development of postgraduate diploma programmes in the area of Early Childhood Care and Education.

There is also collaborative partnership with Unicef, Unesco and JICA to develop postgraduate and certificate courses and material to cater the requirement of trained teachers in the area of Non-Formal Basic Education (NFBE).

The department is receiving financial support for carrying out the programme. The main focus of the all research-based activities was on addressing the socio-economic issues of the society, besides promoting quality education through non-formal mood of learning.

The University has also submitted a number of research proposals to HEC for the next year under National Research Programme for the Universities (NRP). There has been upward trend of winning research grants from national and international institutions in the recent years.

This helped the AIOU to improve its academic ranking and to maintain its learning standard both in term of quality and productivity. In order to develop research culture, and fulfil the main academic responsibility, creating and disseminating knowledge, the Vice Chancellor has taken a number of initiatives that include special incentives to the Faculty and non-Faculty members for doing research, relating to the community's welfare. The university held a number of national and international conferences in the recent years to share and disseminate research in various disciplines for the benefit of the society.