Lahore: The Quality Assurance Agency, a division of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, has initiated a National Leadership Engagement Series named ‘The Quality Compact.’ The initiative focuses on the Pakistan Precepts, Standards, and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (PSG-2023). The Punjab regional session, the inaugural event of the series, was conducted at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) in Lahore, gathering approximately 100 senior university leaders from 29 higher education institutions in the Punjab region.

According to Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the event represents a significant step in HEC’s commitment to bolstering institutional quality assurance nationwide. The opening ceremony featured welcome remarks from FCCU Rector Dr. Jonathan Addleton, followed by the official inauguration by HEC’s Director General of the Quality Assurance Agency, Mr. Nasir Shah.

Mr. Shah emphasized the necessity for institutions to transition from mere compliance to ownership and effectiveness in their quality assurance practices, aligning with the updated PSG-2023 framework. Participants engaged with HEC’s Three Expository Facets framework, which includes Contextual Understanding, Ownership, and Maturity, and received an introduction to the PERLI Golden Thread and the new Q-CIRCLE digital platform, aimed at facilitating real-time quality monitoring.

In concluding the session, Mr. Nasir Shah expressed gratitude to FCCU for hosting and commended the university leaders for their active participation and insightful contributions. The series is set to continue across Pakistan, as part of HEC’s ongoing mission to cultivate a resilient and self-improving quality ecosystem within the higher education sector.