It has been nearly 25 years since the Steering Committee on Higher Education, working alongside the Task Force on Improvement of Higher Education, submitted a comprehensive set of reforms to overhaul Pakistan’s higher education system. These reforms were approved by the government, leading to the establishment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), in place of the University Grants Commission (UGC), in 2002.

The overarching objective was to steer Pakistan toward a technologically driven, knowledge-based economy, capable of delivering rapid and sustainable growth. Human resource development and technological advancement were placed at the core of this vision.

A quarter century later, it is both timely and necessary to evaluate HEC’s performance against these original aspirations, using measurable benchmarks.

A QUARTER-CENTURY ON: TAKING STOCK

Recent indicators present a sobering picture. Pakistan’s rankings in the Human Development Index and the Human Capital Index have declined. The country remains near the bottom of the Global Innovation Index and was ranked 113th out of 133 countries in the Global Competitiveness Index.

Particularly alarming is its position near the bottom of the Global Gender Gap Index. Per capita incomes have stagnated, poverty has risen and the integration of technology into the real sectors — especially exports — remains limited. While multiple factors have contributed to these outcomes, the anticipated synergy between talent development and technological progress has not materialised.

The Higher Education Commission was created to power Pakistan’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy, capable of delivering sustainable growth. A quarter-century on, the gap between ambition and outcome demands an honest audit and bold structural change

The Higher Education Commission was created to power Pakistan’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy, capable of delivering sustainable growth. A quarter-century on, the gap between ambition and outcome demands an honest audit and bold structural change

The Higher Education Commission was created to power Pakistan’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy, capable of delivering sustainable growth. A quarter-century on, the gap between ambition and outcome demands an honest audit and bold structural change

At the outset, HEC identified three priority areas: access, quality and relevance. In terms of access, the achievements are notable. The tertiary enrolment ratio has increased from two percent to around 12 percent, while student enrolment has surged from approximately 200,000 to 2.5 million — an impressive compound annual growth rate of over 10 percent.

The number of universities has expanded from about 60 to more than 250. Similarly, PhD output has risen sharply, with over 32,000 doctoral degrees awarded in the past decade, compared to just 3,300 in the first five decades after Independence.

However, this rapid expansion has come at the expense of quality and relevance. During its early years, HEC undertook several commendable initiatives: thousands of faculty members were sent abroad for doctoral studies, foreign faculty were engaged to strengthen curricula, and research infrastructure — such as digital libraries,........

© Dawn (Magazines)