The Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (IUCPSS) and Centre for Civic Education Pakistan (CCEP) have joined hands to make collaborative efforts for promotion of civic education in the country.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU), in this regard, was singed on Sunday at a ceremony here. The main avenues of mutual co-operation in the signed MoU include inviting faculty and research scholars for training and workshops, collaborating in research, arranging seminars and conferences, introducing diploma or certificate courses on human rights education and sharing one another's facilities and expertise.
Both the parties agreed to appoint Murtaza Noor as IUCPSS, which is Pakistan's first ever inter-university alliance formed by nine leading higher education institutions (HEIs), focal person for facilitation and co-ordination among IUCPSS member institutions and the CCEP.
Addressing on the occasion, guest of honour of the ceremony, HEC Executive Director Professor Dr Sohail H Naqvi said that the HEC was committed to promote social sciences in the country and special programmes had been initiated in this connection during last ten years.
He lauded the joint efforts of IUCPSS and CCEP for improving the state of social sciences and civic education in Pakistan and assured co-operation of HEC in this regard.
He also underlined the need of close relationship between universities and civil society organisations to address the various social problems being confronted by the people.
"Universities should produce such graduates who may also be a good citizen through upholding the values of tolerance, peace and respect for rights of other citizens, therefore, I strongly recommend that civic education may be introduced at all level of education", he added.
Chairperson IUCPSS and Vice Chancellor the Islamia University Bahawalpur, Professor Dr Muhammad Mukhtar termed the agreement as a milestone toward improving the state of civic education in the country.
He also assured utmost co-operation in achieving the objectives of the MoU. He announced that both the organisations would jointly work for introducing certificate and diploma courses on civic/human rights education.
Executive Director Centre for Civic Education Pakistan, Zafarullah Khan hoped that the joint efforts by both the organisations would be greatly helpful in encouraging critical and creative ways of thinking and stimulating civic activism to promote pluralism, rule of law and good governance at the leading Pakistani universities. Chairperson National Committee on Development of Social Sciences, HEC and Vice Chancellor University of Gujrat, Professor Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin termed the promotion of social sciences vital for the socio-economic development of the country.
He was also of the view that Inter University and inter organisation collaborations can be greatly helpful in this regard. Under facilitation of HEC, IUCPSS has been formed by nine renowned and prestigious higher educational institutions of the country including Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, University of Gujrat, Government College University Faisalabad, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, University of Balochistan Quetta, Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Abbottabad.
One of main functions of the consortium includes establishing linkages with national and international organisations for improving social sciences, arts and humanities and research activities in the country.