HEC asks public to donate for saving higher education

Islamabad , Higher Education Commission (HEC) has asked the public to donate generously in order to save higher education in the country.

This appeal was made by member operations and acting executive director HEC Dr. Nasser Ali Khan, here Wednesday during media briefing.

Dr.Nasser Ali Khan said that donation program with the name “University Advancement Program” has been started. He said this initiative has been taken in line with the government of Pakistan’s policy directions so that universities could generate resources by their own.

Dr.Khan further said that HEC has yet to receive Rs.16.3 billion quarterly installment by the finance ministry which was due on April 2012. He said that public sector universities started collecting donations since 2009 and so far IBA Karachi has collected Rs.2300 million followed by KPK Agriculture University Peshawer collecting Rs.395 million.

Dr.Nasser Ali Khan opined that all universities can not raise funds by their own, specially universities situated in remote and less developed areas like Gilgit,Tando Jam,Uthal and Malakand. He said government has committed to allocate 7 percent of GDP for education in National Education Policy issued in 2009 and regretted that we could not exceed more than 1.7 percent of the GDP. According to UNESCO report, Pakistan stands at no.6 from bottom in education budget.