Dr Stephen D McDowell, Director and Professor School of Communication, Florida State University has joined the department of Mass Communication, GC University Faisalabad (GCUF) for short term visiting scholar programme funded by Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. On this occasion, Chairman National Standing Committee for Education Abid Sher Ali met Dr Stephen in the office of the chairperson of the department.
While talking to the foreign scholar, Sher Ali asserted that HEC is putting its every resource to raise the standard of higher education in Pakistan. For promoting the research culture in Pakistani universities, he told Dr Stephen, HEC is providing massive funding to the public sector universities under collaborative research and linkage programme. Government is committed to eliminate the corruption in higher education and to provide pure educational and encouraging environment in the Pakistani universities, he added.
Vice Chancellor GC University Dr Shahid Mahboob Rana, in his inaugural address on one day workshop on issues in qualitative research and content analysis said that GC University is striving to develop a culture of research in its master programme. He also showed concern towards the collaborative research programmes between Florida State University and GC University Faisalabad.
The Vice Chancellor emphasised the Professor to have an exchange programme on faculty and student level with the Florida State University. Being Director of School of Communication, Dr Stephen also showed his interest to sign memorandum of understanding with Department of Mass Communication GCUF. During an interactive session with the faculty and students of department of Mass Communication, Dr Stephen shared his vast experience in communication research and teaching methodologies in media education at postgraduate level.