Teacher and Imam can bring much-needed behavioral change in society: Chairman HEC

ISLAMABAD: Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Friday said the society could get rid of the social ills like intolerance, religious extremism and dishonesty only when the teachers and Imam performed their duty in a responsible manner.

The Chairman was speaking to participants of 27th Master Trainers-Faculty Professional Development Programme organized by Learning Innovation Division, HEC that concluded at the Commission Secretariat.

He said that teachers and Imam were role models for their students and academic leaders who played a vital role in development of future generations.

Twenty-eight faculty members from 28 public and private sector universities across Pakistan attended the eight-week programme and were certified as Master Trainers, who will conduct similar training at their parent institutions.

"Pakistan does not only need best professionals in different fields but also good human beings who show empathy towards fellow humans and work in a selfless manner, and that is only possible if our teachers and religious opinion leaders feel their responsibility and act accordingly," Dr. Mukhtar said.

Congratulating the participants on successful completion of training, he said that HEC was providing all possible opportunities to faculty members and researchers to enrich their knowledge and skills.

"Whatever a teacher or a university needs for professional development as well as strengthening of institutions, HEC has been putting all available resources to fulfill their requirements. We are also thankful to the Government for continuously increasing the budget for higher education sector," he said.

So far, 785 faculty members belonging to different higher education institutions have benefitted from Master Trainers-Faculty Professional Development Programme in 27 batches.

The programme has been designed to equip teaching faculty with latest pedagogical and research skills required for effective teaching and research.

It includes various academic modules with additional sessions on important social topics, with focus on enhancing and enriching teaching abilities of participants.