Bangkok--24 Sep--Asian Institute of Technology
Professor Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, has expressed a desire to expand ties with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and offered to host a visit by the AIT President for strategic discussions with counterparts in Pakistan.
He was speaking at a high-level HEC-AIT meeting on 19 September 2014 hosted by the Pakistan Embassy in Bangkok. AIT President Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai was joined at the meeting by Professor Emeritus Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, Chairman of the Executive Committee.
"AIT is our priority," and the renewal of the existing memorandum of understanding presents an opportunity for building on the mutually beneficial relationship, the HEC chairman said.
Prof. Mukhtar added that he was proud to be an honorary member of the AIT Alumni Association, and remains confident of AIT's continuing and prominent role in Pakistan's human development. "We reconfirm our fullest commitment to AIT. We feel it is our own institution."
He also informed the AIT delegation about the Pakistan Government's ambitious US$ 5 billion initiative to expand the country's higher education infrastructure, including efforts to double the number of PhDs graduating each year to 1000.
President Worsak welcomed HEC's continuing engagement with AIT, saying the institute is keen to accept more Pakistani students, and also seconded faculty. The president also pointed out how the institute benefits from scholarships provided by valued partners such as Pakistan, and would like to expand cooperation possibilities within HEC's plans.
Prof. Mukhtar noted that reliance on government funding for higher education is no longer the sole option, referring to how universities in Pakistan are being encouraged to build up R&D capacity and industry linkages to generate revenue for upgrading technology, digital resources, and the quality of faculty research.
Nowadays, students can also choose from a vast array of subjects and institutions, and top students have high demands from faculty and learning environments. HEC aims to work closely with AIT in meeting such expectations, the HEC chairman said.
Prof. Mukhtar added that Pakistan was reviewing the retirement age to enable faculty to remain productive longer. "We can share our experience too and even facilitate discussions that might be useful for AIT."
It was agreed that AIT would respond to the current draft MOU, and share a draft outline of seconded faculty exchange modalities for review and confirmation by HEC.
Engagement could also include increased interaction with leading universities in Pakistan to explore areas where AIT can have more meaningful strategic exchanges, including split degree programs, joint professorships, and research collaboration in Water Resources, Energy, Food Security and Environmental Management.
AIT possesses expertise to share with Pakistani universities in fields such as Aquaculture, GIS, and Food Processing, and could benefit from exposure to research opportunities in Pakistan in the social sciences, officials said.
Referring to his own extensive experience in academia and public service and Dr. Sahas said that even though he was not an AIT alumnus, he took pride that such a unique institution in Thailand contributes so significantly to the whole region.
HE Dr. Sohail Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to Thailand agreed, mentioning that AIT was among the few fully recognized international universities in Pakistan. It is well-known for its quality and the excellent work of its alumni who are now in prominent positions, he said.
The ambassador supported the view that apart from the scholarship support HEC was considering for AIT, there is opportunity for greater faculty exchange and research linkages. He invited AIT to share its procedure for inviting seconded overseas faculty, and expressed a desire to establish modalities for Pakistan.
Ambassador Khan confirmed the Embassy of Pakistan’s desire to assist HEC-AIT collaboration, saying he stood ready to facilitate efforts to scale-up this historic relationship.
Both sides agreed to expand academic interaction through existing consortiums comprising Pakistani and international universities.
HEC also agreed to share its strategic Mid-term Development Framework document to jointly identify priorities areas of academic exchange.
Mr. Ataul Munim Shahid and Ms. Aqsa Nawaz, both for the Pakistan Embassy, and Dr. Faiz Shah from AIT Extension, also attended the meeting.
Photo caption: From left are Dr. Faiz Shah from AIT Extension; HE Dr. Sohail Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to Thailand; AIT President Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai; Professor Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of HEC, Pakistan; Professor Emeritus Dr. Sahas Bunditkul, Chairman of the AIT Executive Committee; and Mr. Ataul Munim Shahid and Ms. Aqsa Nawaz from the Pakistan Embassy.