Islamabad: The University of Utah and Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) have teamed up to promote capacity-building in public universities. According to a press release from HEC on Thursday, the initiative is funded by USAID under the Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA) and intends to improve institutional governance, faculty development, strategic planning, and policy reform.
HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, USAID Deputy Mission Director Andrew McKim, and other high-ranking representatives from HEC, the University of Utah, and USAID attended the signing event.
Awais Ahmed, HEC’s adviser for global engagement, and Dr. Michael Barber, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Utah, signed the cooperation agreement.
This new partnership builds on the assistance given to 16 other Pakistani universities and expands the HESSA project to 16 more.
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“This collaboration with the University of Utah will empower faculty and institutional leaders to elevate education standards across Pakistan,” said Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, highlighting the significance of such alliances. He praised USAID for its efforts and called Pakistan’s youth a “goldmine” that needed a lot of funding.
“USAID is proud to support this transformative initiative, which reinforces education’s role in sustainable development in Pakistan,” said Andrew McKim, who spoke for USAID, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to the project. “We are honored to partner with HEC to advance Pakistan’s education system and promote academic growth,” said Dr. Michael Barber, expressing enthusiasm for the University of Utah.
HEC adviser Awais Ahmed highlighted the partnership’s goals. These goals include capacity building through training, support for policy reform, and strategic planning to improve higher education.
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The partnership is part of USAID’s objective to support Pakistan’s higher education system and equip universities to meet global challenges, according to the HEC press release. The collaboration with the University of Utah is an example of HEC’s dedication to developing enduring global academic ties that are advantageous to both staff and students.
