Funds dearth: HEC to end MPhil, PhD programme

KARACHI - Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to stop sending students abroad on scholarships for MPhil and PhD programmes due to financial cut in the HEC’s budget by the present democratic government, The Nation learnt on Friday through its sources.
The HEC was used to spend Rs 5 billion yearly on account of scholarships, while previous scholarship programme, advertised in January 2008, will be continued but now the programme has been terminated due to inappropriate policies of the government.
It is pertinent to mention here that HEC, from its inception to date, has sent around 3000 candidates to USA, China, Austria, Germany, England, Italy, France and other countries for higher research (MPhil/PhD).
It is also worth mentioning that the government funding to HEC had been stopped when PPP-led government came into power.
On the other hand, educationists have welcomed the initiative of the senate body to retain Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rehman as chairman of the HEC. The senate body unanimously has called for the retention of Dr Atta on his job.
Talking to The Nation, former General Secretary Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS), Prof Dr Syed Abid Hussnain said that the teachers’ community warmly welcomed the call of senate body to retain the HEC chief as the services of Dr Atta to higher education sector could not be ignored. “I hope the funding to public universities will soon be resumed as per past practice. The current situation will be different if the HEC chief took the elected representatives into his confidence.�