China to extend over Rs 2 billion grant-in-aid for varsities' transformation

China will extend Rs2.048 billion grant in aid for Phase-I of "Smart Universities Transformation through Smart Classrooms in Public Sector Universities of the Country".
The Chinese' grant-in-aid in dollar terms stands at $13.05 million for the project which was approved by federal government last month, the official documents related to the project showed.
According to the documents, Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Economic Affairs Division (EAD) negotiated with Chinese counterpart and grant-in-aid of $13.05 million was agreed. The Chinese counterparts have been engaged in detailed deliberations, and strategy for launch of pilot phase of the project in 50 public sector universities of Pakistan has been agreed.
The project is enlisted under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects for socioeconomic development of Pakistan. The project has been designed to create conducive environment at the higher education institutes for students to succeed in emerging complex digital world while providing opportunities to teachers and trainers to meet the challenges.
It will promote the cultural change required in transforming pedagogical practices and delivery of educational services to students in Pakistan.
Smart classrooms will deliver opportunities to improve teaching and learning through improved success to aligned and complimentary learning opportunities, resources and expertise for students and teachers.
The project will also contribute to reducing the environmental footprints of universities and institutes by offering distance learning opportunities to the masses of the country and teachers, and students would be encouraged to introduce smart classrooms technologies in promoting e-learning culture at institutes of higher learning.
Documents disclosed that there are 124 public sector universities and degree awarding institutes across Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There is requirement of 4000 smart classrooms and initially 200 smart classrooms would be established and for pilot project, these classrooms would be established in fifty public sector universities.
Documents suggest that there is lack of expertise in emerging sciences and technologies and poor quality and marketability of higher education. There is also low investment in research and development by public and private universities as well as poor state of infrastructure.
The objective of the project is to modernize the classrooms, improve accessibility of students from one location to the best teachers located at another by overcoming the limitation of physical distances and develop online and offline materials and assessment system.