HEC To Introduce Management System To Ensure Transparency In Varsities' Functioning

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Saturday said the HEC would introduce Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) to collect data of universities in order to ensure transparency in their functioning.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Oct, 2018 ) :Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Saturday said the HEC would introduce Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) to collect data of universities in order to ensure transparency in their functioning.

He was addressing a press conference after the 33rd�meeting of 18-member Commission, which oversees the HEC's functioning. The meeting was held after a lapse of 32 months.

Dr Banuri said the Commission appreciated the HEC's endeavours and endorsed its initiatives for achievement of its objectives, including improvement of quality, access, and relevance.

He said the Commission had directed for reviewing the university's funding formula so as to ensure performance based allocation of funds. It had also directed for forming separate committees for reforms in higher education system in order to bring improvement in quality, access and relevance.

He said the HEC though encouraged the private sector to come forward to serving the nation, yet the rules and regulations could not be compromised.

He said the universities needed no objection certificates (NOCs) from the HEC for opening their new campuses. Students should check the HEC website before taking admission in any university campus or programme, he added. The universities committing violation of HEC rules, he said, would be penalised and those, whose degrees were not attested by the HEC, would have to pay back three times of the fee charged to the students.

He said foreign universities were welcomed to set up their campuses in Pakistan. However, they would have to follow the HEC rules, he added.

He said the Commission acknowledged the HEC's efforts for promotion of information communication technology (ICT) in Pakistan, especially the establishment of Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN).

It had directed for strengthening the internal ICT systems of universities so that they could be interconnected nationally and internationally, he added.

He said HEC Edu tv, a web-based television channel, had been made active so that students could ask their questions directly. "I will be on air every month and answer questions," he said.

He said the HEC had reviewed its attestation and equivalence policy, which was endorsed by the Commission.

He said the HEC planned to connect the attestation and equivalence system to HEIMS so as to make the degree verification system online.

With reference to the HEC's policy on plagiarism, he said the HEC was working to tighten the policy so as to stop false accusations and address loopholes which were exploited by the people. Some plagiarism cases were under consideration in the commission and the decisions in their regard would be made public, he added.

The Commission, he said, had also directed the HEC to devise a policy for facilitating the disabled students studying in universities. The policy would be presented before the Commission in its next meeting, he added.

The HEC chairman urged the government to raise the the higher education sector's budget by 20 per cent.

He said negotiations had started with the World Bank for fund raising to further strengthen Pakistani universities.

He said a committee would be formed to work on the feasibility of opening campuses of Pakistani universities abroad.

He said the Commission reviewed measures taken by the HEC during last two years and eight months regarding funding and regulation of universities, administrative matters, and quality of education.