Islamabad: Khyber Medical University in Peshawar recently hosted a significant conference gathering Vice Chancellors and Rectors from universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aiming to devise a coordinated strategy for enhancing higher education, research, and institutional development in the region.
According to Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the conference also celebrated research excellence by honoring 216 researchers and scientists from the province who rank among the world’s top 2% scientists. The event was attended by Minister for Higher Education KP Meena Khan Afridi, who served as the chief guest, and Chairman HEC Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, who was the guest of honor. The conference featured comprehensive briefings from HEC division heads on academic development, research initiatives, and other key areas.
Mr. Meena Khan Afridi emphasized the government’s commitment to improving university governance and quality, announcing plans to link government funding with performance indicators and to evaluate Vice Chancellors biannually. He also mentioned a proposed provincial higher education task force, pending cabinet approval, as part of the reform agenda.
Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar highlighted the stagnation of the HEC budget over the past decade, noting the significant growth in student enrollment from 1.4 million in 2015 to 3.5 million currently. He stressed the need for measures to boost academic competitiveness and improve KP universities’ global rankings.
Dr. Zia Ul Haq, in his welcome address, underscored the importance of institutional synergy and modern policymaking to elevate provincial universities to international standards. Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi, in his keynote, advocated for increased research output and greater university autonomy, alongside integrating artificial intelligence into research evaluation.
The conference concluded with a commitment from Chairman KP Vice Chancellors Forum Dr. Sadiq Khattak and other university leaders to collaboratively strengthen the higher education landscape in line with global standards.