5 days ago
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- Business Recorder
‘R&D clusters to be set up in Punjab's varsities'
FAISALABAD: Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan on Friday said that research and development clusters will be set up in order to integrate R&D strength among all universities of the Punjab.
He chaired Vice Chancellors meeting at Syndicate Room, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali, GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Rauf-i-Azam, GCWUF Vice Chancellor Prof DrKanwal Ameen, Vice Chancellors of different universities including Dr Faheem Aftab, Dr Zafar Ali Ch, Dr Yasir Nawab, Dr Zubair, Dr Bushra Mirza, Dr Saeed, Dr Ashfaq, Dr Sajjad Mubin and others also attended.
Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said it is prerequisite to break the silos among the scientists of universities to ensure national development based on knowledge economy.
He directed the Vice Chancellor to propose research centers in collaboration with other higher education institutions. He also clarified that the clusters will be established without the bricks and mortars by finding best brains of different fields and funding will be provided to run sustainable R&D activities. He said that the centers would range from science, agriculture, engineering to arts and humanities etc. He also told the meeting that governance and institutional reforms were being made in Higher Education institutions to enhance the performance keeping the challenges in view. He also sought the recommendations from the Vice Chancellors for the said cause.
He said that framework will be carried out for public private partnership for the universities that will help commercialize the latest technologies and research. He added that mushroom growth of affiliated colleges was hampering quality of education and this matter should be addressed on the part of Vice Chancellors. He also directed the universities to establish HR Office, strengthened financial aid and business Incubation centers as well.
He said that they are collaborating with civil service academy for the training of Vice Chancellors and in August a week long training session will be carried out for 23 newly appointed Vice Chancellors. He also discussed establishment of dedicated honhaar units on campus to oversee scholarship activities. He said that many talented students cannot avail the opportunity of higher education due to financial constraint. The government is providing ample scholarships to enrolled students but the students from the deprived segment of the society cannot even take admission because they do not have money to pay the first fee essential to take admission. He said that the students which names appeared in merit list now be able to take admission on scholarship without paying any money and the mechanism is being evolved in this regard. He also directed higher education institutes to nominate educators for TEOSL and global open course being run by US Department of State. He also asked the Vice Chancellors to mobilize the faculty and students to avail google career certification program.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zulfiqar Ali said that the UAF has sought the proposal from the scientists for research centers especially to address food security, livestock, climate change and water etc issues. He said that institutional reforms are need of the hour in higher education to ensure the quality manpower and research. He added that the university was housing research projects with the help of international centers including Center for Advanced Studies, Pak korea Nutrition Center, Confucius Institute, Seed Center and others. Dr Rauf-i-Azam said that his institution was taking all possible measures to produce trained manpower. Prof Dr Kanwal Ameen praised the step of PHEC being taken for the reforms of education in the Punjab.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
