HEC to develop academic ties with Sri Lanka

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will develop academic collaboration with Sri Lanka through Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme.

Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Tariq Banuri stated this during a meeting with Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Maj. Gen. (R) Shahid Hashmat at the Commission Secretariat.

Hashmat expressed his strong commitment to play active role in executing the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme. He affirmed that the programme will further strengthen the bilateral relations and will improve people-to-people contact.

Dr. Banuri said that the HEC accords high importance to international collaborations, adding that the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme is one of the examples of its commitment to promotion of higher education in the country.

Under the programme, the HEC will extend educational assistance to Sri Lankan students and faculty. The project includes 1000 scholarships for Sri Lankan students, faculty exchange initiatives, training of Sri Lankan civil servants, holding of Pakistan Higher Education Expo in Sri Lanka, and establishment of a Department of Language and Culture at University of Colombo.

It was agreed in the meeting that the project will be executed from Fall 2019, while a credible and transparent merit-based system will be put in place for the selection of students and faculty.

The meeting was also attended by Executive Director, HEC Dr. Arshad Ali, Adviser, Human Resource Development, HEC Waseem S. Hashmi Syed, Director General, Planning and Development, HEC Dr. Mazhar Saeed, and Project Manager, Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme Dr. Arshad Bashir.