Preston University playing significant role in promotion of higher education: Dr Abdul Basit

Islamabad
Preston University Chancellor Dr Abdul Basit has said that Preston University is playing a significant role in the promotion of higher education and effectively meeting the country’s need for educated and trained human capital.
In an interview, the Preston University chancellor said that the university has completed almost three decades of excellence in higher education, marked by extraordinary growth and expansion of the university faculties and degree programmes.
“We feel genuine pride in what we have accomplished and we bow humbly before Allah Almighty who bestowed us with His blessings ever since our inception in 1984. Having completed almost three decades of service, Preston University is now poised to soar even higher to achieve greater acclaim, credibility and respect not only in Pakistan but in the region as well. This has been possible because of a long history of dedication, commitment and persistent struggle for improving the quality of education. We take immense pride in the fact that what we promised the nation three decades ago, we have successfully more than fulfilled it,” he added.
The university, Dr Basit said, takes genuine pride in the fact that since its inception in 1984 it has been able to successfully produce and provide more than 100,000 qualified and trained graduates to national, multinational and international organisations both within the country and overseas. “The two-fold mission of the university is to give students the opportunity for personal growth and development, skill enhancement and professional career advancement to create, sustain and promote research and development for expanding the horizons of knowledge,” he added.
He said Preston today has a large network of campuses in the country with total enrolment exceeding 16,000 students.
Keeping in line with the evolving technological advancements and requirements of the global business and national needs, he said Preston University is offering high quality market driven education in the fast-growing and ever-expanding fields of Business Administration, Computer Science, Nanoscience and Technology, Social Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences and Engineering. Its nationwide network covers the major cities of Pakistan -- Kohat, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad and Karachi -- with modern campuses having well stocked libraries and state-of-the-art computer facilities.
In its endeavour to promote the cause of higher education in the country, |Dr Basit said Preston University has always enjoyed the ingenuous support and recognition of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the highest regulatory body of the government of Pakistan, in the field of higher education. In recognition of its commendable services towards the cause of higher education in Pakistan, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the government of Sindh have conferred university charters and degree awarding status on Preston University Kohat and Preston University Karachi. It is truly a matter of immense pride and honor for us that all the campuses of Preston University has been placed in the highest category ‘W’. The Islamabad Campus of Preston has been ranked as ‘W-4’
“The private sector is playing a pivotal role in promoting higher education and cultivating a generation well-trained and well-skilled to meet the human resource need of the country. Pakistan’s economy, over the decades, has diversified significantly. This has led to the expansion of industry and business horizontally to add newer industries and services; while at the same time adding depth to each industry and business sector. All these developments generated a fairly large demand for managerial manpower in a wide variety of specialties. There has been a growing realisation in the government, particularly over the past two decades, that the private sector should be allowed to play its due role in promoting the cause of higher education in the country. Paucity of resources gave fillip to this realization. The private sector positively responded to the policy of the government to allow it to strengthen its hands in promoting the cause of higher education in Pakistan,” he added.
He said with rapidly mounting global challenges, extensive cooperation in the field of higher education between the universities of the Islamic World has become the need of the hour. “Undeniably, without sustained mutual cooperation in the field of higher learning between the universities of the Islamic World, meeting the gargantuan global challenges effectively would indeed be unattainable,” he said.
Preston University chancellor said that the 3rd Vice Chancellor’s Forum of the Universities in the Islamic World, being held in Islamabad-Pakistan, from February 23-24, 2015, is an extremely vital forum. “Unambiguously, it would provide an excellent opportunity to the heads of the participating universities of the Islamic World to learn from each other’s experience and share knowledge and skills of mutual benefit. Needless to say, it would also prepare the Islamic World to face today’s global challenges with unwavering confidence and fortitude. I wish the 3rd Vice Chancellor’s Forum of Universities in the Islamic World the best in all its endeavours directed towards laying a strong edifice for mutually beneficial cooperation,” he added.