Higher Education Commission (HEC) aims to produce 1500 PhDs every year by providing them all facilities to promote standard education, said Minister In charge for Science and Technology Dr Atta-ur-Rahman on Thursday.
"The HEC also aims to equip the university teachers with teaching skills and with orientation of the latest trends of instructions being used internationally."
The minister was addressing the inaugural session of the first Faculty Development Course for University Teachers at the HEC campus.
Dr Atta said the Commission has launched a number of programmes to enhance the quality of higher education, adding, "these are being implemented successfully in the higher education sector of the country."
He said: "Learning is a lifelong process and we as Pakistanis have to accept the challenges of training knowledge as per requirements of the world."
"We as representatives of higher education sector are responsible for changing the current status of higher education in the country," the minister maintained.
The three-month course is being participated by 35 university teachers from 16 public sector institutions from all over the country. The course is being organised by the section of learning innovation of HEC.
The resource persons for this particular course, who are prominent and experienced educationalists, have been invited from all over the country to orient participants with the latest trends in the teaching and learning process.
It is to note that the HEC has decided to launch a series of faculty training courses for the young teachers of public sector universities and this course is first of the series.
Keeping in view the world-wide practice that all new academic staff of educational institutions is required to participate in Teaching & Learning Oriented courses, the HEC has scheduled a plan to conduct such courses at the HEC campus Islamabad.
This activity not only would help the participants in laying the foundations of an effective teaching career but would also cover training and support in learning teaching, assessment and supervision of several academic activities.
In this regard, the HEC has introduced a three-month intensive residential course in order to acquaint the young faculty members of public sector universities and institutions of higher learning with the latest and advanced process of teaching and learning.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING: The HEC has decided that six in-service training programmes would be conducted during the period of three years at the HEC campus Islamabad.
In each course, 35 faculty members from public sector universities and institutions would be able to enhance their teaching skills.
The course has been designed for those teachers who are relatively new to teaching in higher education sector.
The other faculty members would also find this course helpful as an opportunity to reflect on their current teaching practice.
The courses also aim at improving their under-standing of educational principles and approaches, and facilitate their application in day-to-day educational practice.
A stipend of Rs 5000 per month would be given to each participant during the course with free accommodation for outstation participants on sharing basis and TA/DA as per government policy.
The faculty members, who will be invited to conduct these courses as recourse persons include eminent experts from all over Pakistan serving or who have served the prominent institutions of higher learning and R&D organisations.