For the first time in the history of the country, a high-level educational delegation comprising 17 vice chancellors of various universities of Pakistan will visit Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from April 23 to May 1.
Lieutenant General Muhammad Akram (Retd), vice- chancellor, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, will lead the delegation.
Moreover, another educational delegation comprising six vice-chancellors and six ministers of Punjab is scheduled to tour India in the third week of May 2004.
Sources told Business Recorder that the educationists would visit Saudi Arabia with the objective to explore various avenues of bilateral co-operation in various disciplines of the education sector, adding this delegation is being co-ordinated by the Foreign Office of Pakistan.
They said, at present, the availability of vice-chancellors, who will be part of the delegation is being confirmed.
They said Professor Dr Manzoor Ahmad, vice-chancellor, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, has confirmed his availability for the visit.
When contacted, Punjab University Registrar Colonel Masoodul Haq (Retd) said that Lieutenant General Arshad Mahmood (Retd), vice chancellor, of Punjab University would not join the delegation because of his pre-occupations, but the PU Registrar confirmed that the vice-chancellor would be part of the delegation, which will visit India in third week of May 2004.
Sources said the Government of India has also extended invitation to six Punjab ministers and six Punjab varsities vice-chancellors to visit India, whereas Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood would lead the delegation.
It is learnt that a number of other countries have also initiated efforts to increase interaction with Pakistan in various education field. It may be recalled that a large number of students from Pakistan have gone to UK and other EU countries for higher studies during recent months.
Hafiz Haider Ali, an educational consultant, while commenting on the issue, said the increased interaction of Pakistan with the academic circles of other countries would have a healthy economic impact on education sector of the country.
"Pakistan needs joint ventures to provide quality education to its students. There is also need for high quality and cost-effective teaching faculties and scholarships for our students", he observed.
He said Pakistan should also seek jobs for its teachers in foreign schools as well as financial assistance for educational research and development activities, adding: "But these objectives could be achieved only when we better interact with other countries, especially with the developed ones".
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