After a lapse of around 18 years, the Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) has finally formed "higher education reforms sub-committees" in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities in Punjab (APSUP) to bring reforms in the higher education system.
Sources told Business Recorder that the prime focus of the committees will be on accelerating access to higher education, ensuring quality higher education, improving global rankings of public and private sector universities, pursuance of approved accreditation committees and PHEC cases pending with Higher Education Department (HED), introducing one window solution provision for higher education institutions and preparing action for research commercialization.
The sources said that these committees have been formed almost 18 years after the last reforms proposed by Dr Ata-ur-Rehman in 2002. They added that there were additional two sub-committees formed to fulfill these objectives.
They said the first committee will be working on brining reforms under the supervision of PHEC chairman while the second sub-committee will be working under the supervision of HEC secretary which will look after the approved pending cases and one window solution mechanism.
The sources further said that Dr Atta-ur-Rehman's proposed reforms yielded excellent results as the "tenure track system" significantly improved the productivity of faculty while the "quality enhancement cells" introduced the quality assurance mechanism in HEIs and the "indigenous scholarships" enhanced the number of trained faculty and research output.
They added that these reforms had not only increased the number of universities from 59 in 2001-02 to 178 in 2014-15 but also increased the number of graduates from 276,274 in 2001-2 to 1.28 million in 2014-15.
However, these reforms had also created certain issues for both public and private universities. To chalk out a way forward, the sources said the APSUP recently held a meeting with Punjab Higher Education Minister Raja Yasir Humayun PHEC chairman Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid and some industry experts and entrepreneurial icons.
During the meeting, APSUP Chairman and Executive Member Higher Education Reforms Committee Prof Dr Chaudhry Abdul Rehman shared a concept paper highlighting the need of shift from outdated education system to a more progressing. He proposed a paradigm shift based on the best international educational practices.
An official said Dr Rehman suggested certain drivers with their related KPIs for better performance of HEIs. These drivers include "access to higher education", "quality of education", "research excellence", "global prominence" with their KPIs being enrollment, employability, startup, research outcome, increase in university ranking, impact and commercialization of research, and performance global ranking and increase in global students and utilization of global online resources respectively.
He also proposed to start empowerment of innovative and creative programs, establishment of entrepreneurial ecosystem, OBE-based curriculum to ensure excellence, practicing EI through student engagement activities like clubs and societies, commercialization of research and introducing reward and recognition programs based on performance evaluation system of teaching and academic staff.
After the detailed deliberations, the committee decided that the PHEC chairman will take the stakeholders onboard by sending letters to concerned VCs to get their feedback and recommendations for higher education reforms in Punjab.
The other participants included Maj Gen Obaid Bin Zakria (VC, Lahore Garrison University), Prof Dr Syed Masroor Sarwar (VC, UET, Lahore),Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi (VC, GCU, Lahore), Dr Sumaira Rehman (Rector, Superior College Lahore), Syed Nabeel Hashmi, Jahanzaib Burana, Mian Khalid Rehman, Dr Muhammad Ramzan, Murtaza Umer Bashir, nauman Maqbool Rao.
Similarly, GCU VC Prof Asghar Zaidi and Rector Superior College Dr Sumaira Rehman will jointly prepare a theme and develop interview schedule for focus groups while Lahore Garrison University VC major general (retd) Obaid Bin Zakria will arrange focus groups participants from private sector institutions and other members including Nabeel Hashmi, Jahanzain Burana and Mian Khalid Rehman will arrange participants from industry, chambers and business community.
According to information, the draft reports on higher education reforms jointly prepared by Dr Sumaira Rehman, Prof Asghar Zaidi and Obaid Bin Zakria from the concept paper shared by the VCs and focus groups will be presented to the sub committees. It was also decided that the consultations will be completed in one month and blueprints for higher education reforms including action plan will be presented in three months.
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