HEC Committed to Robust Uplift of Higher Education Sector
Islamabad : Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan is committed to undertaking robust reforms in the higher education landscape in order to enhance the sector’s alignment with national needs and emerging global trends. Chairman HEC Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar stated this while addressing a media briefing. He said the Commission is pursuing a comprehensive plan to address the challenges and lead the sector towards a holistic development.
Dr. Niaz Ahmad said that HEC has made a three-credit-hour course on Artificial Intelligence mandatory for undergraduate programmes across universities in Pakistan. The initiative aims to equip students of all disciplines with foundational knowledge of emerging technologies and to prepare graduates for evolving demands of digital economy.
He said that HEC has also established a Committee for Outcome-Based Education (OBE) to develop recommendations for making university education more aimful, productive and result-oriented. The committee will deliberate on key aspects such as curriculum design, clearly defined learning outcomes, and assessment practices.
He said that HEC has also constituted a committee for strengthening Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORICs). “The committee will review existing mechanisms and propose measures to improve research management, enhance industry-academia collaboration, and promote intellectual property generation and commercialization of research outcomes.”
Underlining the HEC efforts towards digital transformation, the Chairman announced that HEC will shift the attestation of documents from a physical to a fully online system. “Once implemented, applicants will no longer need to visit HEC offices in person, as the process will be completed digitally.”
The Chairman said that to improve Pakistan’s visibility in global academia, HEC has constituted a Ranking Committee that will guide universities on strategies to enhance their performance in international university ranking systems such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Referring to interprovincial and interdepartmental coordination for the uplift of higher education sector, the Chairman said HEC has constituted provincial committees on higher education reforms. He said that committee of every province will have representation from provincial HECs, HEDs, one female vice chancellor, one vice chancellor from private sector and representative from HEC Pakistan. Their recommendations will help enhance coordination, prevent overlaps, and promote mutual support.
By establishing P-5 strategic consortium, HEC will position emerging engineering and technology institutions to become global leaders. Through sustained engagement and shared innovation, these universities will redefine Pakistan’s academic landscape.
The Chairman said that HEC has also constituted sector-specific academic committees to review the quality and relevance of degree programmes in key disciplines. These include committees on Engineering and Technology, Medical Education and Agriculture. He said these bodies will examine existing academic programmes and propose improvements in line with international standards and national development requirements.
Dr. Niaz Ahmad said that while recognising the importance of merit-based admissions, HEC is working on improving the testing mechanisms for undergraduate admissions to ensure greater transparency, standardisation, and fairness in the intake of students across universities. “The quality of a university’s intake ultimately determines the quality of its graduates,” he said.
The Chairman said that he has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairman Senate, requesting that legislative enactment for new universities should not be done without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from HEC, which sometimes leads to regulatory and operational challenges.
Hinting at governance and administrative challenges, the Chairman said HEC has also written to universities, urging them to fill vacant administrative positions at the earliest in order to ensure efficient institutional governance and smooth academic operations.
He said under the ongoing phase of the government’s laptop initiative for students, 65,000 laptops have already been distributed while the remaining laptops will also be distributed soon.
He highlighted HEC’s resolve to strengthen applied research and promoting entrepreneurship within universities, emphasising the need to translate academic research into practical solutions, innovative products, and economic opportunities for the country.
He said that Selection Board is also being conducted at HEC to fill vacant positions at different levels, in addition to process for filling various positions at senior management level.
The Chairman expressed confidence that these initiatives will help position Pakistan’s universities to better serve national development and compete effectively in the global knowledge economy.
