The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) will enhance collaboration for ensuring quality of engineering education in the country, and to further streamline accreditation process of the engineering degrees. Both HEC and PEC will adopt all possible measures to improve quality and accreditation process of programmes in engineering education offered across the country. Besides, joint surprise visits to monitor universities' engineering programmes will also be conducted.
This was decided in a meeting between Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman HEC and Engr Jawed Salim Qureshi, Chairman PEC held at Commission Secretariat, Islamabad. This was Engr. Qureshi's first visit to HEC after assuming the charge of Chairman PEC. An Electrical Engineer by profession, Qureshi has over 30 years of diversified experience in both public and private sectors. The Chairman HEC congratulated him on assuming the charge and hoped that his vast experience of the engineering sector will help PEC deliver more efficiently.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed informed the PEC Head about HEC's process for recognition of degrees, wherein accreditation of professional degree courses from relevant professional body is a mandatory condition. "We recognise only those engineering degrees which are accredited by PEC", he said. It may be mentioned here that an MoU has been signed between HEC and PEC in May this year to develop criteria for recognition of programmes in Engineering Education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, curriculum of programmes and criteria for appointment of faculty.
The Chairman HEC also briefed Engr Qureshi about HEC's curriculum revision process, adding that curriculum review committees of different engineering programmes have representation of PEC. He said that curricula of different disciplines are reviewed every three years and it is ensured that it corresponds to international practices as well as national needs.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed gave an overview of different HEC's initiatives for developing institutional facilities, introduction of new disciplines in market based technologies, development of human resource including faculty, improvement in research facilities, enhancement of technological infrastructure, Pakistan Education and Research Network, Digital Library, linkages with different foreign universities and other key projects of the Commission.
He elaborated how HEC has been endeavouring to build capacity of researchers and support universities for promotion and commercialization of research. He hoped that HEC will have a productive partnership with PEC for advancing engineering education in Pakistan. The Chairman PEC assured complete support to HEC, emphasising that PEC will not recognise any degree programme in engineering which is started in violation of the prescribed policy.
It is pertinent to mention here that HEC regularly interacts with different Accreditation Councils to discuss how the process of accreditation could be revamped and strengthened keeping in view the expansion of higher education sector, and learning from international best practices in the accreditation process. Accreditation Councils are responsible for Programme Accreditation at undergraduate level across the country in the respective subjects with complete autonomy in terms of implementation under policy guidelines of HEC.-PR
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