Pakistan has the world’s fifth-largest population, at around 212 million. About 67% of the population is younger than 30 years of age. In any country, that would be regarded as a strength. This strength, however, if mismanaged, can be a recipe for disaster.
This being said, there is a need to provide Pakistan’s youth with good-quality education. The government established a Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2002, with Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, a well-known scientist, as its founding chairman. Until 2008, the HEC was performing very well. Adequate funds were provided to it and it launched several new initiatives and revolutionized higher education in Pakistan. Many countries acknowledged Pakistan’s achievements in promoting this sector, while some requested assistance from Pakistan to rectify their own educational sectors along the same lines.
Unfortunately, since 2008 the last two governments have politicized the HEC and as a result, it could not deliver what it used to. Funding was reduced sharply, political appointees were inducted, merit was ignored, decisions were based on party politics, nepotism was rampant, and corruption and incompetence were witnessed widely.
However, the recently appointed chairman, Dr Tariq Banuri, a well-known personality holding an engineering degree from a Pakistani university and a PhD in economics from Harvard University in the US, has brought back some hope for the commission. He has diversified work experience, from the government sector to the private sector, non-governmental organizations, overseas work, teaching, research, and management. Based on his competence and rich experience, it is expected that he will improve the HEC’s performance and bring it back to its past glory.
Pakistan is passing through a very critical stage and facing the severe challenges of an emerging economy. Its geo-strategic location makes its development even more challenging, as conflicting interests of major powers all lie in this region.
Currently, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) requires a well-educated, well-trained workforce. However, Pakistan is lacking in some areas. For example, an “economic corridor” requires a huge amount of logistics, but in Pakistan there is not a single public or private university teaching logistical engineering.
The demand for logistics experts is very much the need of the hour. It is strongly recommended that some of the leading universities launch specialist courses on logistic engineering immediately.
Similarly, there is talk about railway linkages between Pakistan and neighboring countries such as China, Afghanistan and Iran, as well as Central Asia, and upgrades of the rail systems in Pakistan. But there is not a single university in the country offering programs in railway engineering. In China, by contrast, there are specialized universities dedicated for railway engineering. As a result, China has become the No 1 country in the world in high-speed rail coverage, which reached 25,000 kilometers in 2017. It is necessary that Pakistan’s leading engineering universities launch railway engineering degree programs.
CPEC is focused on the energy sector, petrochemicals, mining, agriculture and industrialization. A simple civil, mechanical or electrical engineer won’t do the job at hand. Pakistan needs relevant specialized human resources in all of the above-mentioned fields.
The HEC may plan to produce the requisite human resource within Pakistani universities. Although China is contributing a major part of human-resource development for Pakistan, with 28,000 Pakistani students currently studying in that country, it is still necessary to develop Pakistani universities to meet the emerging demands for the country’s future development.
Many talented young Pakistanis are performing very well in other countries. I have met many high-achieving Pakistani students abroad whose talents have been recognized by their respective universities overseas. Many universities in Europe and the US speak highly of Pakistani students. Unfortunately, most of the extraordinary students prefer to stay in foreign countries after completion of their educations. The HEC needs to attract such talent back into Pakistan and help the country retain them long-term.
The HEC may require internal reforms as a first step and depoliticization. All incompetent and illicit appointments should be nullified. Merit-based inductions should be streamlined. Corruption must be brought under control.
Then, with the consultation of stakeholders, the HEC may conduct “technology foresight” to determine the real demands for education; new fields, new disciplines, and new specializations may be identified. Once priorities are identified, resources may be dedicated to achieve the required results.
It might be an uphill task, and may require some time. But the country and its higher-education policy are in dire need of reforms. I trust the newly appointed chairman, Dr Banuri, has the capabilities to meet the expectations of the intellectual community of Pakistan, and I wish him all the best in his endeavors.
Even after 70 years after "Independence", Pakistan still follows a Western model. This should change as ALL of the innovations in last 50 years, especially in production – Total Quality, JIT, Kanban, FMS, Robotics, AI that reduced production costs to rock bottom increasing prosperity have come from Asia. Western computer based ways (IT, CAD, CAM, MRP, ERP) have not delivered, making poor poorer, and rich richer. In the past the West excelled in Design, but even that is changing as Intel, Apple, GE et al set up excellence centers in Asia.
Some reasons for Western failure:
1. Knowledge reflects the ambient socio-economic system. In Corporate Capitalist West, knowledge is a private good. In Asia, it is public good to be shared by all.
2. Learning quality – retention rate pyramid:
Lecture 5%; Reading 10%; Audio-Visual 20%; Demonstration 30%; Discussion Group 50%; Practice by doing 75%; Teach others 80%
http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-learning/learning/principles-of-learning/learning-pyramid/
http://acrlog.org/2014/01/13/tales-of-the-undead-learning-theories-the-learning-pyramid/comment-page-1/
3. Dying Education system. Western secondary schools are churning out youth who neither read nor count – Trump Nation that grows by the hour.
4. Killing fields (remember Sabika). Western learning Institutions instill fear, and the fearful do not innovate. Asians at peace do.
Primal Question of Existence is Survival, Growth, Evolution. Despite all the past Nobel Prizes, Technology, Science, Development, why is the West below replenishment, needing immigrants to run their economy?
Sinic, Indic, Islamic Scientists shared knowledge, corresponded with each other. CCW privatization brought jealousy. Western scientists bitterly competed – Newton vs Liebnitz vs Hooke, Bernoulli family infights are legend – hiding works from each other to claim discovery.
Non-Westerns never named discoveries after people. Unheard is Zu Chongzhi’s algorithm, Bhaksara’s equation, or Khayyam’s triangle, vs Faraday’s Laws, Poisson’s equation, or Pascal’s triangle. Even in decline, CCW is vainly trying to perpetuate its claims by naming units after its own – Newton, Pascal, Volt, Ampere, whereas Chinese, Hindu, or Muslim society never did that, nor will. This short-sighted CCW pride will only lead them to shun future knowledge as NIH (not invented here) now the centre moves to Asia and to Islam.
In the 19th century England tried its best to stop America from acquiring steel and manufacturing technology. She failed. England later lost its colonies, and America became a world power.
In the 20th century England/France tried their level best to stop the Germans and Russians from acquiring technology. They failed and lost their shirt. Germany now controls Europe, and Russia was a world power for a while.
Later in the 20th century America tried its level best to stop the Soviets from acquiring nuclear technology. She failed and is now beset with financial meltdown. Russia is on the upswing for the second time.
What are the chances of the Corporate Capitalists preventing newcomers in the 21st century to acquire technology? Nil, Zilch, Nada, Cipher.
Knowledge is a public good, not private as made by Corporate Capitalist West. Share and it will increase. Playing God you can lose your shirt. Allah does not like to share his Power with anyone. Unless "Islamic" Pakistan distances itself from the godless Western model and returns to its Asian ways, it will keep on marching from death to death.
It is the Harvard types that destroyed education in Pakistan.
very informative .Thank you
I think, students, should also be given CAREER COUNSELLING.
This is one of the MOST important change that to be brought in our education system.
A good piece of knowledge.
Importance of educational strategy has been highlighted, lackings in HEC have been scrutinized. Thank you sir
good piece of writing. thanks sir
The first attack on our education system was made by Dictators Zia and then our beloved midget leaders put their contributions. Only time some one bring a positive change was made by Dr Atta a “Harvard type”…sorry to offend if you!!
Very good recommendation. Thanks.
HEC regulations are not good in some steps. They demand throughout first division. But the people of Balochistan or other backward areas they have 3rd anda2nd ddivisionin their academic career.
They also achieve higher education like M.Phil and PhD. but there is no any relaxation for them. We request to Chairman HEC kindly make easy excess for the students of MS or PhD degree holders..