A Rs 30 billion project for overall improvement in the teaching system of public sector universities, research departments as well as universities itself came under consideration at a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Governor, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan here Monday.
The meeting was attended among others by the Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr Ataur Rehman, Advisor to Governor Abdul Wahab Shaikh, Principal Secretary Akhtar Zamin, Executive Director Higher Education Sohail Naqvi, Additional Secretary Universities, Major (Retd) Aftab Lodhi and Vice-Chancellors of public sector universities of Sindh.
Under the programme, every university would be provided Rs 3 billion each for major development programmes which they would use within 5 years to attain modern and international standards.
The vice-chancellors of all universities briefed the Governor separately regarding PC-1 of their respective institutions which came under consideration of the participants and gave proposals for their further improvement.
The Governor said that all PC-1s should be improved and completed from all aspects and submit the same to Higher Education Commission within a week.
He pointed out that President Pervez Musharraf had been paying full attention on the promotion of education at all levels to bring the same at par with modern day and international requirements for making them beneficial for the society.
He said that allocation of a stupendous amount of Rs 30 billion for improvement in universities spoke about his practical interest in the matter. He also appreciated the efforts of Dr Ataur Rehman in that respect.
The Governor called for special preference to the development of human resources and faculty development and emphasised upon adopting a line of action for doubling the enrolment in three years as well as registering 50 PhD students in every department of all universities every year.
He stressed that besides enhancing the quality of research and before awarding the PhD degree, the thesis of every student should got be approved from foreign scholars.