President Alvi asks HEC to encourage Associate Degree Programmes

ISLAMABAD, May 13 (SABAH): President Dr. Arif Alvi has asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to actively encourage universities to introduce and increase the number of Associate Degree Programmes as the market desperately needed more educated and skilled professionals. He underscored that HEC must ensure fast decision making on such an important issue and regretted that the decision-makers were slow to fully comprehend the requirements of the fast-changing global market.

President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed these views during a briefing on Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI), Topi, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday. The meeting was attended by Rector GIKI, Professor Dr. Fazal A. Khalid, Executive Director of the Society for Promotion of Engineering Sciences and Technology (SOPREST), Shakil Durrani, members of the senior management of GIKI, representatives of HEC and Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Addressing the meeting, the President emphasised the need to increase access to higher education and produce more highly qualified and professional graduates. He also underlined the need for enhanced collaborations among universities and the industrial sector to meet the requirements of the market. He stated that universities were required to introduce and promote online and hybrid modes of learning to impart in-demand skills to their graduates.

Rector GIKI briefed the meeting about the various new initiatives taken by the university for the promotion of education. It was informed that GIKI was introducing a comprehensive online education system to increase the number of graduates. It was further apprised that the institute would offer new programmes in Computer Science and Cyber Security in the academic year 2022-23, besides introducing MS and PhD programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Civil Engineering. It was highlighted that GIKI was developing research collaborations and international linkages with local and international organizations to promote research and development in the country, besides enhancing the quality of education. The meeting was also briefed about the future programmes as well as the infrastructure development and up-gradation plans of the university.