LAHORE (Press Release): Faculty and student exchange programmes, along with stronger international academic consortia, are essential for improving the quality of education in Pakistani universities, Chairman of Higher Education Advocacy and Development (HEAD) Naeem Masood said.
He was speaking at a joint seminar titled “Internationalisation and Development of Universities”, organised by HEAD in collaboration with the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore. The seminar was chaired by UET Vice Chancellor Engineer Dr Shahid Munir, while former federal minister and former senator Syed Javed Ali Shah attended as the chief guest. Secretary Revenue, Punjab Revenue Board, Shafqat Ullah Mushtaq, was also present.
Naeem Masood said that quality education in Pakistani universities could not be expected without meaningful internationalisation, including faculty and student exchanges and the development of strong academic consortia.
He also stressed the need to allow internationally recognised Pakistani researchers to establish spin-offs, enabling professors to pursue patents, high-quality innovation and the commercialisation of research.
Masood urged universities across Pakistan to benefit from the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) three Transnational Education (TNE) policies.
He explained that TNE-1 provides for the establishment of a branch of an international university in Pakistan, while TNE-2 allows a Pakistani university to enter into a franchise arrangement with a foreign university, including opportunities for students to physically study semesters at both institutions. Under TNE-3, universities in both countries can offer a dual-degree programme, with degrees awarded by both institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, UET Vice Chancellor Engineer Dr Shahid Munir said the university had already started work on spin-off initiatives and had launched a joint project with a Chinese university. Under the project, the Chinese university will establish a laboratory, while faculty and student exchange programmes will also be introduced.
He said UET was also working on joint study and research projects with Germany. The university has initiated several projects related to soft power, education diplomacy and applied research, while it is also receiving support from UNESCO.
Dr Shahid Munir also shared his experiences and observations from his visits to Germany, Nepal and China with young researchers and faculty members from various institutions.
Former federal minister and former senator Syed Javed Ali Shah said that the emergence of the global village and artificial intelligence had increased the responsibilities of Pakistani universities.
He said university leadership would now have to move beyond verbal commitments and take practical measures to provide students and faculty with meaningful opportunities for development and international collaboration. He added that the government would also have to play its role in supporting such initiatives.
Secretary Revenue Shafqat Ullah Mushtaq said internationalisation could open numerous new opportunities for Pakistan’s young generation and help raise the country’s profile internationally. He said Pakistani youth were highly talented and hardworking.
HEAD Secretary Dr Anjum Tahira and Dr Rabia Tariq also spoke at the seminar, saying that internationalisation would promote greater research competition and strengthen the culture of research in Pakistani universities. They said UET had already started working in this direction.
