ISLAMABAD – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has brought revolutionary changes in higher education sector of Pakistan and this commendable work should continue in the larger interest of the people of the Pakistan.
Leader of the Upper House, Senator Jehangir Badar, stated this during his visit to HEC office Islamabad Wednesday.
He said realizing the importance of higher education for the socio-economic development of the country, Pakistan People’s Party founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto established University Grants Commission (UGC) as federal body.  
He emphasized the need to bring about a knowledge-based change, which will be greatly helpful for the socio-economic uplift of the people. He also suggested that a Parliamentary caucus representing all political parties might be established to assist in resolving the issues being faced by education sector including higher education.  He assured his utmost cooperation to resolve the current problems of the higher education sector in Pakistan.
Earlier, Chairperson HEC Dr. Javaid R. Laghari welcomed to Senator Jehangir Badar and gave a detailed presentation over the composition, working and achievements of HEC.  He said the establishment of the HEC in 2002 has heralded a revolution in higher education in Pakistan which has been recognized throughout the world. The HEC has accomplished more in nine years since its establishment than was achieved in the first 55 years of Pakistan’s existence.
He stated that as an outcome of the these reforms, six Pakistani universities are now ranked among the top 300 Asian Universities and two Pakistani universities are now ranked among the top 300 Science and Technology Institutions of the world.  He also informed that Pakistani universities have produced more PhDs in the last 9 years (3950) since the establishment of HEC than in the first 55 years (3280).
The universities are now enabled to produce more PhDs in the next three years than in the last nine years. Research output has grown eight-folds since 2002 (from 815 in 2002 to 6,200 in 2011). 80% of these research publications from Pakistan are coming from HEIs. 
Pakistan today is a regional leader in ICTs, which other countries are following.   The Digital Library provides access to 75 per cent of the World’s literature (23,000 e-journals and 45,000 e-books). Advanced Study Centers in Water, Energy and Agriculture have been established in support with USAID. The Centers in priority areas for economic development of Pakistan are located at major research universities across the country.
About 65 per cent of total HEC funding is being invested in the human resource development so that a critical mass of experts may be produced to contribute to the development of the country. So far, more than ten thousand inland and foreign scholarships have been awarded.
Each week about fifteen scholars are completing their PhD and being placed by HEC at higher education institutors throughout the country.