ISLAMABAD-Higher Education Commission has started the process of revamping 4-year undergraduate curriculum in the general universities.
A statement issued here said that aim of the exercise was that on completion of undergraduate studies, students should have the ability of critical and analytical thinking, evidence-based observation, a deeper sense of civic and social rights and responsibilities, and should have grown personally as an individual.
To that end, the HEC has initially identified 30 general universities across Pakistan and grouped them into 5 regions, including Balochistan, Islamabad-Rawalpindi/AJK/Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.
To begin with, the HEC engaged with vice chancellors and rectors region-wise, who shared their views on problems of the current 4-year integrated curriculum, and unanimously agreed on the urgent need for revamping the same.
On the HEC’s request, the university heads have nominated a curriculum reform team of faculty and administration from each university. These teams will contribute to the development of curriculum structure, and provide the lead in their respective institutions to implement the revamped curriculum.
In the next step, the HEC has planned a series of 5 regional consultative workshops.
The first workshop of the series was organized at International Islamic University, Islamabad from April 5-6.
The participants were nominated teams from five identified universities in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi/AJK/Gilgit-Baltistan region as well as an observer from each of the remaining 24 general universities in the region, again nominated by the concerned university head.
In his remarks at the workshop conclusion, Dr Tariq Banuri, Chairman HEC, emphasized the centrality of undergraduate studies for overall enhancement of quality of higher education.
He said that the purpose of revamping curriculum was to make undergraduate degree a terminal one and produce graduates who are truly educated.
The workshop was designed to foster a better understanding of the needs and purposes of revamping the curriculum, obtain critical inputs in development and implementation of revamped curriculum, and to develop participants’ know-how and skills so as to enable them to lead the revamping effort in their universities.
HEC will organize a follow-up workshop with the participating teams from 5 identified universities, and continue providing technical and other support to them in the implementation process.
Similar workshops will be held in the other 4 regions in the coming months. In this manner, the structure of revamped curriculum will be developed and implemented initially in 30 identified universities in the five regions. As this process unfolds, other general universities in the country will be brought on board, the statement concluded.