Tag: Higher Education Commission

  • Students panic as HEC’s degree verification system malfunctions

    Students panic as HEC’s degree verification system malfunctions

    The Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) degree verification system in Lahore has been faulty since the past 10 days.

    According to HEC sources, the malfunction has resulted in the suspension of degree verification for hundreds of students, causing serious issues for those intending to pursue higher education abroad.

    Students have expressed frustration over their futile visits to the HEC office and lack of response. Despite submitting online applications, they have yet to receive the issued challans.

    In response, the HEC administration has indicated that the system’s malfunction originated in Islamabad. They have stated that once the system is repaired, students will receive their challans and appointment dates.

  • Here’s when PayPal and Stripe payment services will be available in Pakistan

    Here’s when PayPal and Stripe payment services will be available in Pakistan

    Dr Umar Saif, Pakistan’s interim Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications, shared noteworthy developments on Wednesday regarding the imminent availability of PayPal and Stripe payment gateways within the country. Addressing the flourishing freelancing community, he drew attention to the current scarcity of financial tools to facilitate payments within this sector. 

    During these discussions with major industry players, including PayPal, Stripe, and Wise, a compelling case for Pakistan was presented, despite reservations, including those arising from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). 

    Dr Saif expressed optimism, foreseeing promising updates on PayPal and Stripe services in the coming four to six weeks, heralding positive implications for the freelancer community. 

    Highlighting the substantial size and potential of Pakistan’s IT freelancing workforce, the country ranks as the world’s second-largest online workforce, boasting approximately 1.5 million active IT freelancers. Nonetheless, the sector’s growth has been stymied by infrastructure limitations. 

    To address these challenges, the E-Rozgar programme is set to offer interest-free loans to the private sector, with plans for establishing co-working spaces capable of accommodating 500,000 individuals. Dr Saif also revealed a collaborative initiative with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to introduce standardised testing for IT graduates. 

    The significance of Pakistan’s IT sector cannot be understated, with around 19,000 companies contributing substantially to both employment and the national economy, boasting official exports worth $2.5 billion. 

    Another pertinent issue discussed by Dr Saif is the reluctance of some IT companies to maintain foreign exchange reserves and revenues abroad due to constraints on repatriating US dollars. Despite conservative estimates placing Pakistan’s IT exports at $4–4.5 billion, the reality is obscured by restrictions on US-dollar spending. 

    Fueled by cooperative efforts between the IT ministry and P@SHA, a positive development has emerged. IT companies can now retain 50 per cent of their revenue in US dollar accounts and receive corporate debit cards from banks, facilitating international payments without hindrance. 

    In addition, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has played a crucial role in assisting IT exporters. The SBP recently increased the permissible retention limit for IT exporters, allowing them to hold 50 per cent of their export proceeds in Exporters’ Specialised Foreign Currency Accounts (ESFCAs) with the aim of bolstering IT and IT-enabled services exports. 

  • List of illegal, unrecognised universities across Pakistan made public

    List of illegal, unrecognised universities across Pakistan made public

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan recently released a list of illegal and ‘fake’ campuses of universities and higher education institutions across the country. According to the HEC, degrees obtained from these institutions will not be recognised by the commission. To ensure students across the country obtain valid degrees, the HEC has urged students to avoid seeking admission to these institutions.

    Colleges on the list range from local sounding institutions (for instance, the Quaid-e-Azam College of Information Technology), while others seem to present themselves as branches of international universities, such as the American University of London. Though funnily enough, no such university actually exists in London.

    The HEC is responsible for recognising degrees from both private and public chartered universities and higher education institutions in Pakistan. HEC also extends recognition to affiliated campuses. 

    The general public are advised to exercise caution and refrain from enrolling in any fake, illegal, or unrecognised universities/colleges. The HEC has published, and regularly updates, its list of accredited institutions, so if the institution you are enrolling for is not mentioned on the website, you will likely acquire an invalid degree by the end of it. 

    View the entire list of illegal universities and colleges on HEC’s website.

  • Govt allocates only Rs97 billion for education affairs and services in budget 2023-24

    Govt allocates only Rs97 billion for education affairs and services in budget 2023-24

    The federal government has designated a budget of only Rs97.098 billion for education affairs and services in the fiscal year 2023-24. This allocation reflects a 5.5 per cent increase compared to the revised allocation of Rs91.777 billion for the current fiscal year.

    Pakistan’s public expenditure on education, as a per centage of GDP, is estimated to be 1.7 per cent in the fiscal year 2022-23, a slight increase from 1.4 per cent in the previous year. However, this figure remains the lowest in the region.

    Of the total allocation, the bulk of expenditure amounting to Rs76.589 billion has been allocated for Tertiary Education Affairs and Services in the budget for 2023-24, accounting for 79 per cent of the total allocation under this category.

    Furthermore, the government has designated Rs4.468 billion for pre-primary and primary education affairs in the upcoming fiscal year, compared to Rs3.786 billion in 2022-23. Additionally, Rs10.778 billion has been earmarked for Secondary Education Affairs and Services in 2023-24, as opposed to Rs8.863 billion in the previous year.

    The budget for administration has also increased, with Rs3.698 billion allocated compared to the revised figure of Rs2.010 billion for 2022-23, which was later revised to Rs2.430 billion.

    Since the implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, education has been devolved to the provinces, making the federal government primarily responsible for financing higher education.

    According to budget documents, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been allocated Rs59.71 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2023-24, a significant increase from the previous year’s allocation of Rs44.718 billion.

  • Prime Minister House to be converted to university in 72 months

    Prime Minister House to be converted to university in 72 months

    The bill seeking the establishment of a university at the Prime Minister (PM) House finally reached the Senate on Tuesday, reports Dawn.

    According to the bill, which has already been passed by the National Assembly (NA), the project once started, will take 72 months to complete.

    Last year, officials from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the direction of the PM Office, had visited Sir Syed Memorial Society building in G-5. The HEC and CDA had later shared a report with the PM office, stating the building was suitable for starting the university.

    The University of Engineering and Emerging Technology Bill 2022 was tabled in the Senate by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan on behalf of Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.

    Chairman Mohammad Sadiq Sanjrani referred the bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Education for consideration.

    In October last year, the NA standing committee had approved the bill and last month the National Assembly passed it along the mini-budget and some other bills.

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has already entered its fourth year in office, implying Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan may not be able to see his dream project completed during his tenure.