Higher Education Reforms in Pakistan - AIC

39 Pages·2009·1.82 MB·English

Higher Education Reforms in
Pakistan
Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS
Ph.D.(Cambridge), Sc.D.(Cambridge)
Former Federal Minister of Science &
Technology, IT/Telecom and Higher
Education (2002-2008)
COMSTECH
Pakistan
Requirements for Rapid Progress
 Human capital wwiitthh kknnoowwlleeddggee
aanndd sskkiillllss
 SScciieennccee && Technology
 Innovation/Entrepreneurship IInnffrraassttrruuccttuurree
aanndd iinncceennttiivveess ttoo iinnnnoovvaattee
2
Pakistan---An Exciting
Beginning- Political Will !
My appointment as Federal Minister of

Science & Technology (2000), Federal
Minister responsible for Higher Education
(2002-2008)
6000% increase in budget of Science &

Technology
2400% increase in budget of higher

education during last 4 years
Key Challenges in Higher
Education
Quality Access Relevance
• Standard of • Enrollment in • Addressing
Education, higher the needs for
Faculty & education Socio-
Research Economic
Development
of Pakistan
Financing Reforms
44
STRATEGY
1) BASIC SCIENCES
PPhhyyssiiccss,, CChheemmiissttrryy,, MMaatthheemmaattiiccss,, BBiioollooggyy))
2) APPLIED SCIENCES
((EEnnggiinneeeerriinngg,, AAggrriiccuullttuurraall sscciieenncceess,,
BBiiootteecchhnnoollooggyy,, IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn TTeecchhnnoollooggyy,,
PPhhaarrmmaacceeuuttiiccaallss,, NNeeww MMaatteerriiaallss,,
CCoommmmuunniiccaattiioonnss,, RReenneewwaabbllee EEnneerrggyy))
3) SOCIAL SCIENCES
4) ECONOMICS, FINANCE, MANAGEMENT
5) LINKAGES WITH INDUSTRY
Challenge: How do we attract our
brightest to Education/Research
?
Pakistan has 85 million below age 19

(54% of population) !
BBootthh aa CChhaalllleennggee aanndd aann OOppppoorrttuunniittyy

IItt iiss tthhee bbrriigghhtteesstt aammoonngg tthheemm wwhhoo mmuusstt

pprroovviiddee tthhee lleeaaddeerrsshhiipp iinn aallll ffiieellddss------
eedduuccaattiioonn,, SS&&TT,, GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt
HHOOWW ????

!
Attracting the Brightest
11) Excite young minds about the wonders

that science !
2) Select and train the Brightest in top

universities abroad
3) Attract them back--- by creating an

enabling environment :
Salaries

Research Funding

Access to Literature/ Instrumentation

Critical Mass—create clusters !

!
Attracting the Brightest
Change in Salary Structures/Benefits

Under new “Tenure Track” system salaries
of Professors raised to over US $ 5,000 per
month(equal to US$ 7,000 per month after
tax concessions)---several times more than
Federal Ministers in Government !
Performance based system
75% Tax waiver for University Teachers

(maximum 5%)
Attracting the Brightest !
SScciieennccee iiss FFuunn !!!!!!
RReewwaarrddiinngg TTaalleenntt ::

YYoouunngg PPrroodduuccttiivvee SScciieennttiissttss hhaavvee
hhiigghheerr eemmoolluummeennttss tthhaann mmoorree ““sseenniioorr””
pprrooffeessssoorrss ((RReesseeaarrcchh PPrroodduuccttiivviittyy))
Reversing the Brain Drain !
UUnnddeerr FFoorreeiiggnn FFaaccuullttyy HHiirriinngg PPrrooggrraamm

oovveerr 660000 eemmiinneenntt sscciieennttiissttss aanndd
eedduuccaattiioonniissttss hhaavvee bbeeeenn aattttrraacctteedd bbaacckk------
aafftteerr lliivviinngg mmoosstt ooff tthheeiirr lliivveess iinn tthhee WWeesstt
CClluusstteerriinngg------4455 mmaatthheemmaattiicciiaannss,, mmoossttllyy

ffrroomm EEaasstteerrnn EEuurrooppee,, aallll cclluusstteerreedd iinn oonnee
iinnssttiittuuttiioonn------GGoovvtt.. CCoolllleeggee//UUnniivv..,, LLaahhoorree