ISLAMABAD - Vice Chancellors of Pakistani universities partnering under the USAID’s Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA) recently visited the Republic of Korea to gain better understanding of high impact practices in academics, governance and research which have made the ROK higher education system highly competitive and market driven.
The VCs study tour was organised by the University of Utah. The Pakistani higher education leaders made a guided tour of the International Global Campus (IGC) in Incheon, Korea which hosts various campuses of US and European universities.
The VCs met with the IGC management and university senior officials to learn about how different int’l universities could work together under one umbrella to enhance the effectiveness of the ROK education system for nurturing next generation of global leaders in different fields. The VCs also met the President of Incheon National University in South Korea to explore linkages in higher learning and student exchange programmes. The delegation comprising of VCs and Rectors, and officials from USAID and the University of Utah also visited the Incheon Startup Park, a unique opportunity of experiencing Korea’s first silicon-valley style technology space. Housing over 30 tech startups, the participants observed how these spaces have evolved globally over the years and what their plans for future growth look like.
An important feature of this international visit was a three-day co-creation workshop focusing on development of university-specific strategic and business plans. Leadership training for academic governance and development of business plans is not yet institutionalised in Pakistan. Similarly, majority of the higher education institutions do not own a business plan, even though strategic planning is crucial for sustaining university operations. The workshop covered three modules including, laying the groundwork for strategic planning, developing and implementing a strategic plan, and sustaining an integrated planning culture. All the VCs expressed satisfaction for the well-organised study tour and commended USAID for its continuous support to Pakistan’s higher education sector.
