Islamabad, 10th June, 2023 (GNP): The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is set to receive a significant boost of 30% in development funding for the upcoming fiscal year. This move comes as the government addresses the financial challenges faced by government universities amidst the national economic crisis.
The proposed budget, unveiled by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the National Assembly on Friday, allocates Rs59.715 billion to the HEC’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Notably, 90% of these funds are earmarked for ongoing projects.
Compared to the previous year’s allocation of Rs44.179 billion, the increased budget reflects the government’s strong commitment to supporting higher education institutions.
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Public sector universities, which have been grappling with a scarcity of funds due to delays in loan disbursements from international financial institutions, will greatly benefit from the HEC’s support.
Documents obtained reveal key details of the 2023-24 PSDP. It allocates Rs53.315 billion, including Rs1.05 billion in foreign aid, to 140 ongoing projects. Additionally, Rs6.4 billion has been designated for 25 new projects without foreign assistance.
An important focus will be fully-funded scholarships, with a significant portion of the ongoing project funds, amounting to Rs3.75 billion, directed towards enabling students to pursue MS/MPhil courses abroad and subsequently embark on PhD programs (Phase II).
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The funding allocations also include Rs3 billion for PhD scholarship programs under the Pakistan-US Knowledge Corridor (Phase I), Rs1.5 billion each for 3,000 educational scholarships for Afghan students through the Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme, and the development of the Narowal National Sports City.
Furthermore, Rs1 billion each has been allocated for the HEC-USAID Fulbright Scholarship Support Programme and the establishment of an Innovation Centre and Software Park at the University of Engineering & Technology Lahore’s sub-campus.
The funding package encompasses various other significant allocations, such as Rs800 million for the strengthening and expansion of the University of Gujrat and its allied campuses, Rs750 million for the Higher Education Development Programme of Pakistan (Revised), Rs740.9 million for improving digital access of universities through the enhancement of the core network and expansion of PERN footprints via CPEC optical fibre, and Rs600 million for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme (Phase III).
Moreover, several ongoing projects, including the establishment of the National Centre of Industrial Biotechnology and the strengthening of the University of Sargodha and its campuses, will receive funding.
For the next fiscal year, the HEC’s focus will be on enhancing laboratories at prominent universities, such as the University of Engineering and Technology in Taxila, Lahore, and Khuzdar, as well as the NED University of Engineering & Technology in Karachi.
This substantial increase in development funding highlights the government’s unwavering commitment to supporting higher education and research initiatives across the country.