The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and China Association of Higher Education (CAHE) jointly organised the first Pakistan-China Forum entitled "Challenges of Equitable Access and Quality in Higher Education" at Air University, Islamabad on Monday. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms was the chief guest. Dr Arshad Ali Executive Director HEC, Lieutenant General Muhammad Asghar (retd), Consultant (CPEC) HEC, CAHE delegates, and a large number of academicians were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister appreciated the role of HEC in building CPEC University Alliance and CPEC Consortium of Business Schools. "These efforts will help building collaborative linkages and intellectual connectivity which symbolize the spirit of CPEC", he stated. He maintained that the Government is fully supportive of HEC in capacity building of existing higher education institutions to prepare suitable human resource for CPEC and promote cultural harmony between the two countries. "CPEC means Pakistan's entry into the global supply chain," he emphasised.
In his address, Dr Arshad thanked the Government's commitment for promotion of higher education in the country which, he said, is not only a goal but also a pre-requisite for a knowledge-based economy. He also shared various initiatives of HEC with regard to HEC Vision 2025.
Earlier in his welcome address, Faaiz Amir, Vice Chancellor, Air University and Muhammad Asghar shed light on theme of Forum. The Forum focused on three areas including national role and contribution in improving quality of higher education, ensuring quality with large scale increase in access, and balancing quality of higher education in diverse regions. The Forum was also addressed by Diaomei Wang, leader of the Chinese delegation.-PR