Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday has approved Rs 24 million project to initiate BS, M Phil and Ph D programmes in economics at the University of Sargodha (UoS). Under the project, the HEC will provide funds to construct an infrastructure of 15,656 sq ft for the proposed programmes to cope with the educational needs of 100 students in BS programmes and 20 MS students.
This will be gradually increased in a span of four years over 400.
According to HEC here, the university will also develop computer and library facilities to strengthen the teaching and research programmes and furnishing of new proposed buildings with provision of books and journals at its library.
The University of Sargodha will initiate these programmes under semester system in the discipline of economics from 2005. Nearly 100 students in BS - four year programme, 20 MS/M Phil students and 5 Ph D (from existing faculty) will be admitted. The MS/M Phil students will be inducted from the ensuing bachelor programme and eligible students from other institutions on competitive basis. However, a placement exam will be administered to select the students on merit basis.
The BS degree so earned by the students after 16 years of schooling will be in line with the universally accepted standards of higher education and will fulfil the requirements of its international recognition and compatibility.
The students having earned BS degree will be eligible for admission to the MS/M Phil programme as per international practice.
The curricula will be broad based with emphasis on general education and integrated with other disciplines of social sciences in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century in the economics profession.
The BS four years programme will be consistent with Bachelors of Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture where top calls students of F Sc (pre medical and pre-engineering) are admitted after careful scrutiny.
The envisaged programmes will enable the university to produce graduates in the discipline of economics who will compete with the best in the country and abroad. This will fulfil the country's need for competent professional economists.
The project will create linkages with national and international institutions and cultivate long-term sustainable scientific collaborations. The goal is in line with the HEC vision for building graduate programmes in the national educational institutions commensurate with international standards.
It is expected that population of the central Punjab will be direct beneficiary of the project. The university will adopt universally accepted format of higher education in the discipline of economics and allied social sciences in this regard.