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Thursday March 28, 2024

Islamic countries can find solution to problems

by collaborating in education sector: HEC chief

By Myra Imran
February 23, 2015
Islamabad
Islamic countries could find solutions to their common problems by collaborating in higher education sector.
This was stated by Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Professor Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed in an interview with ‘The News’ about the upcoming meeting of Vice Chancellors Forum (VCF) of Islamic countries to be held in Islamabad on February 23-24.
The meeting themed ‘Universities in the Islamic World: Facing Global Challenges’ is being organised by the HEC and Comsats Institute of Information Technology in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan and Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW).
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that higher education institutions of Islamic countries have adequate infrastructure, qualified faculty and sufficient research facilities. “All Islamic countries are thriving for best but working in isolation. The missing link is collaboration. This Forum is an effort to provide them a platform where they can share their learning, challenges and best practices,” he said.
He said that this would be the third meeting of the Forum. "The two earlier meetings were held to congregate vice chancellors, rectors and presidents of the universities in the Islamic world in September 2013 and June 2012 in Islamabad."
The third meeting of VCF was planned for August 2014 and around 130 VCs committed to participate in that meeting. "The meeting was postponed at the last moment due to 'dharna'. This time, 100 VCs and 150 delegates from Pakistani universities would be attending the event."
A brain child of present HEC Chairman Professor Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the forum was established in 2012 with an objective of creating synergy among higher education sector of the Islamic world.
"I was Deputy Director General in Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) at that time and used to monitor the activities of Federation of Universities, a part of ISESCO, in the Islamic world. There I pushed for creating a forum where ISESCO can invite heads of higher education institutions in the Islamic world."
The idea was convincing and the first meeting of the forum was organized on in June 2012. "The first meeting was more of an introduction to the cause whereas the second meeting resulted in Memorandum of Understandings signed between different universities.
"One good example is the liver transplant centre nearing completion in DOW University, Karachi. The MoU for this centre was signed between Turkish university and DOW University in the same meeting," he said.
The HEC chairman said that this time, the Forum would shift focus from institution to institution interaction to strategic partnership and sartorial development.
“We plan to build on the achievements of last two meetings. The meeting will focus on particular themes where Islamic countries need to learn from each other. The meeting will also address common challenges of the Islamic world like energy, food security, science and technology and will focus on creating synergies and networks. The VCs will also discuss possibilities of faculty exchange and student exchange programmes."
Dr. Mukhtar said that the forum would also include side meetings of the heads of higher education set ups in the Islamic countries. "We should start thinking of giving back to the world instead of always asking for assistance," he said. Pakistan is already doing that as a good number of Pakistanis professors are teaching in universities of Islamic world but the process is not structured."
Highlighting the issue of internationalisation Pakistan's higher education institutions, he said that but in recent past, the influx of foreign students has reduced due to security situation.
"To internationalise the higher education sector, the HEC plans to open the market. For that, we have suggested Pakistani universities to offers scholarships to students of Islamic countries in accordance to their resources. As result, we have started receiving offers and we are in the process of making database of these offers for post graduate students."
In these scholarships, he said that fees and hostel charges of students will be paid by the universities and student will only bear the living expenses. "We have also requested Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to support this initiative in Pakistan and other Islamic countries. The IDB have education related programs in which they give travelling expense to students on scholarship. We requested them to connect this initiative with this program."
He said that these opportunities would be available on line and anyone from any Islamic country would be able to apply under these scholarships. "The respective university will process the application according to their system and eligible candidates will be offered the admission. The rest will be taken care by the HEC," he said.
The chairman said Islamic countries have some of the best universities of the world. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE are investing extraordinarily in higher education. Pakistan's model of higher education is appreciated at every forum. Recently Islamic Development Bank (IDB) team visited HEC and proposed to take Pakistan on board for technology transfer.
"Currently, there are two countries including Turkey and Malaysia in that ambit. The IDB wanted HEC to act as focal department. The discussion is in initial stages but it shows that the work of HEC in appreciated at international level."
On the other side, he said that Islamic world face immense challenges in higher education sector. "For example, in Pakistan, access rate to higher education is hardly 8.3 per cent which means among 100 eligible youth, only eight have access to higher education and 92 wait for the opportunity. We need to create opportunities for them. Unless we give priority to quality higher education, we cannot solve our problems. It is a general observation of all Muslim countries."
He said that there is strong realisation among Islamic countries to seriously work on education standards. "This realisation is a positive sign but world has moved far ahead and for leap start, we need to think and implement 'out of the box' solutions."