Islamabad - The inter-university collaborations within and outside the country are vital for strengthening social sciences in Pakistan.
Pakistan has among the lowest accessibility to higher education 8%, among the 17-23 year old as compared to Bangladesh 12%, India 18%, Indonesia 23%, Turkey 39% and South Korea 95%”, stated renowned social scientist and newly appointed Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin during a reception hosted in his honour by Inter-University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (IUCPSS) here. The ceremony was well attended by the vice chancellors, senior academicians, diplomats, heads and representatives of international, national organizations and civil society.  
Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin further said that the main issues in higher education sector of Pakistan include: low quality of higher education, lack of trained faculty, non-relevance of university towards socio-economic needs of the country, allocation of less funds for higher education and low priority to college education. All these issues need immediate attention through collaborative efforts and support of international community. He emphasized over enforcing consultative based reforms to improve quality and standards of higher education and research in the provinces in view of the local conditions and needs. While appreciating the efforts of inter university consortium, he said that Punjab HEC would benefit from the expertise and experience of the consortium in addressing the socio economic problems being confronted by the province.   
In his welcome remarks, Chairman IUCPSS Pakistan & Vice Chancellor University of Haripur, Dr. Nasser Ali Khan said that inter university consortium,  an inter university alliance of more than 20 universities,  would continue its contribution as an autonomous organization  towards promoting teaching and research in social sciences in close liaison with its  partner organizations.
President American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) Prof Dr Kamran Asdar Ali appreciated the contribution and efforts of inter university consortium for  improving the state of social sciences  in Pakistan and brining Pakistani and foreign universities closer to one another.  “We also need to appreciate and encourage inter university collaborations within and outside the country so that higher education institutions could benefit from one another expertise and experiences”, he remarked.   
Vice Chancellor University of Peshawar & Chairman National Vice Chancellors Committee Prof. Dr. Rasul Jan suggested special attention towards dying out disciplines of social sciences.
Prof Dr Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Prof Dr Syed Khawaja Alqama. Vice Chancellor Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, and Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, Vice Chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, also spoke on the occasion. They greeted Prof Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin and appreciated the decision of the government of the Punjab for appointing a senior academician as head of Punjab HEC.
They also assured Chairperson Punjab HEC their utmost cooperation in promoting higher education and making universities research more relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country.