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Provincial autonomy to affect HEC scholarships
LAHORE - While steps are being taken to establish Higher Education Commissions on provincial level, the number of scholarships for over 2000 students is feared to be affected by the process.
Sources in HEC have informed this scribe the transfer of powers from central Higher Education Commission (HEC) to provincial bodies might affect the number of scholarships for the local students, offered by universities from across the world.
They expressed apprehension that the number of scholarships might be reduced in hundreds this year for two provinces - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan - because of unavailability of funds for building infrastructure. On the other hand, the presence of proper infrastructures of HECs in Punjab and Sindh might benefit the students of the educational institutes and universities more than other provinces, the sources added.
“Distribution of powers among the commissions is confusing the educational institutions and universities of other countries due to the unclear policy of scholarships quota allocation among the provinces,” the sources told The Nation.
Besides unavailability of infrastructures, the law and order situation in Balochistan and KPK is the main hurdle for the officials of central HEC and especially for the representatives of foreign educational institutions to reach these risky areas and negotiate with the governments, representatives of education sector or heads of educational institutions in such provinces while offering them scholarships, the sources held.
The HEC officials added that scholarships for a number of programmes had already been closed by some countries for HEC. These programmes include MS/M.Phil Leading to PhD Scholarships for Teacher of Weaker Universities, PhD Scholarships for Engineering & Sciences in Germany, PhD Scholarship for study of Science, Engineering & Technology, Austria, PhD Scholarship for Basic Sciences, China, 1000 Scholarships for studies in General Comprehensive Medicine in Cuba, HEC Scholarship for MS (Engineering) In South Korean Universities /Industry, Development of High Level S&T Manpower through Split PhD Program, PhD Scholarships for Natural & Basic Sciences in France, Overseas Scholarships for Masters in Engineering.
Earlier, the central HEC was dealing in all scholarships offered by the foreign educational institutes which later distribute number of scholarships for higher studies abroad among the provinces as per policy or according to the quota keeping in view the population of the provinces, the sources said. But now the central HEC is facing problem in fair distribution of students’ scholarships among the provinces especially for Balochistan and KPK and the prevailing situation is spreading disappointment among the students of both provinces, they added.
In its endeavour to develop a class of highly qualified and professional faculty in Pakistan, the HEC launched a series of scholarship programs before establishment of provincial HECs and confusing policy of distribution powers among the provincial and central HEC. Through this series, the HEC was aimed at providing the much needed impetus to the academia by offering indigenous as well as foreign PhD degrees to both faculty members and students of all the provinces on merit and as per quota, the sources said.
“It was well cognizant of the need for customising the scholarship programs along with providing new opportunities for the pursuit of higher education at home and abroad”, the sources told this correspondent. With an objective of reinforcing universally accepted principle in academia, HEC designed the scholarship series, they added.
“Scholarships were offered not only in reputable disciplines but also in the less recognised but crucial emerging fields,” the sources recalled.
Several scholarship schemes comprising of indigenous as well as foreign scholarships or fellowships were being offered under the program. PhD scholars in all disciplines of strategic national significance were proceeding to various reputable foreign universities, institutions and research centers by availing these schemes, they further said.
Talking about the issue, Punjab HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said the main share out of the total foreign and local scholarships still exist with the central HEC which is offering scholarships directly and the HEC Punjab succeeded to get its due share as per quota after its existence. However, the provincial HEC is mainly focusing on the universities of the backward or under-developing areas, educational institutions of Southern Punjab and students and faculty of newly established universities.
Earlier the students of such universities were usually being ignored by central HEC while offering the scholarships, he added, but now due to some important measures and affective infrastructure of HEC in Punjab, the province is succeeded in getting more foreign scholarships for the local students as compared to the other provinces. The central HEC is dealing with other provinces in this regard directly due to non-existence of HEC infrastructure, he further said.
News Reference: http://nation.com.pk/lahore/10-Jun-2015/provincial-autonomy-to-affect-hec-scholarships
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